wful," said Captain Collyer half
aloud, as I told him of Captain Staghorn's death.

All in our berth were eager to hear what I had to tell them about the
duel, and I could not help observing how different the remarks of my
messmates were from those which had been uttered in the Daring's berth.
Hearty satisfaction was also expressed that my cousin had escaped. I
was eager to go on board the Pearl to congratulate him and to take him
back Bertha's package, as I now knew why he had given it to me. I could
not, however, go till the evening, when Mr Bryan gave me leave to take
the dinghy. I sent down my name, and was told to go into the cabin. I
found Captain Ceaton seated at a table, with a book before him. He
lifted up his head from his hand, on which it had been resting, when I
entered. I had never seen so great a change in any person in so short a
time. His countenance was pale and haggard, his eyes sunk, and his
whole look would have made me suppose that he had undergone a year of
the most severe mental suffering, or some painful illness of still
longer duration. I was going to congratulate him on having come off the
victor, but I could not bring out the words I had intended to use. I
merely murmured out, "I am so very glad you are alive. I have brought
back the package for Bertha. I know now why you gave it to me."

"Keep it still, Marmaduke," he answered gloomily. "I feel that I shall
soon be summoned hence. God's wrath rests on the willing homicide, and
I have sent that man without an evil deed repented of into the presence
of his Maker. I was too eager to fire. Almost before the word was
given I had lifted my hand to do the accursed deed. I would far, far
rather have been shot myself. Let my misery be a warning to you. Never
on any account lift your hand against the life of a fellow-creature,
unless you are fighting for your country or attacked by assassins. The
world may gloss over the deed as it will; the conscience cannot gild a
crime."

He said a good deal more in the same style. I tried to comfort him as
well as I could, and talked about my sister and the future.

"What, unite a spotless hand to that of one stained with the blood of a
fellow-creature!" he exclaimed. "No, Marmaduke, when she knows the
truth, she will shudder at the thought."

I now saw that he was altogether unnerved, and I hoped that, if his
surgeon was a sensible man, he might do him more good than I could with
any arg