r conduct was _in_excusable, her faults had been _in_voluntary,
and her sorrow was _in_expressible; her _in_experience and her
_in_fatuation her only apology; that her _in_felicity at her mistress's
displeasure would _in_evitably increase her sufferings; assured her that
she was not _in_corrigible, and that if her mistress would only indulge
her with forgiveness, as she hoped to _in_herit heaven she would never
_in_cur her anger by committing the same fault again. Satisfied with
this assurance, the Honourable Miss Delmar softened down, and not only
forgave, but actually took the child into her lap that Bella might read
the Bible which she had presented her with. Reader, the child who had
this great honour conferred upon him, who actually laid in the
immaculate lap, on the apron of immaculate snowy whiteness of the
immaculate Honourable Miss Delmar, was no other person than the narrator
of this history--or, if you please it, the Hero of this Tale.

That my mother had so far smoothed things pretty well must be
acknowledged; but it was to be presumed that her husband might not be
pleased at so unusual an occurrence, and already the sneers and
innuendoes of the servants' hall were not wanting. It appeared,
however, that an interview had taken place between Ben and Captain
Delmar shortly after my making my appearance: what occurred did not
transpire, but this is certain that, upon the marine's return to the
kitchen, one of the grooms, who ventured to banter him, received such a
sound thrashing from Ben that it put an end to all further joking. As
Ben had taken up the affair so seriously, it was presumed that if there
had been anticipation of the hymeneal rites he was himself the party who
had been hasty; and that now he was married, he was resolved to resent
any impertinent remarks upon his conduct. At all events, the question
now became one of less interest, as the scandal was of less importance;
and as Ben had made known his determination to resent any remarks upon
the subject, not a word more was said, at all events when he was
present.

In due time I was christened, and so completely was my mother
reinstalled in the good graces of her mistress, that as Captain Delmar
had volunteered to stand my sponsor, the Honourable Miss Delmar gave the
necessary female security; at the particular request of my mother, the
captain consented that I should bear his own Christian name, and I was
duly registered in the church books a