ction,
and was the only and daily object of reverie; it was my ambition, and
ambition in any shape, in whatever direction it may be led, is so
powerful as to swallow up every other passion of the human mind; but
still I had a strong affection for Minnie--that is for little Minnie, as
I saw her first, with her beautiful large eyes and Madonna countenance,
clinging to her father. With the exception of my own relations, who
were so much my seniors, I had had nothing to bestow my affections on--
had not even made the acquaintance, I may say, of a woman, unless my
casual intercourse with Bob Cross's Mary, indeed, might be so
considered. A passion for the other sex was, therefore, new to me; but,
although new, it was pleasing, and, perhaps, more pleasing, from being,
in the present case, ideal; for I had only a description of Minnie as
she was, and a recollection of what she had been. I could, therefore,
between the two, fill up the image with what was, to my fancy, the ideal
of perfection. I did so again and again, until the night wore away;
and, tired out at last, I fell fast asleep.

The next day, after I had been on board of the schooner, and given my
orders to Bob Cross, I returned to Mr Fraser, and sat down to write to
Mr Vanderwelt; I also wrote to Minnie, which I had never done before.
That my night reveries had an effect on me is certain, for I wrote her a
long letter; whereas, had I commenced one before my arrival at Curacao,
I should have been puzzled to have made out ten lines. I told her I was
sitting in the same chair, that I was sleeping in the same room, that I
could not look around me without being reminded of her dear face, and
the happy hours we passed together; that Mr Fraser had told me how tall
she had grown, and was no longer the little Minnie that used to kiss me.
In fact, I wrote quite romantically as well as affectionately, and when
I read over my letter, wondered how it was that I had become so
eloquent. I begged Mr Vanderwelt to write to me as soon as possible,
and tell me all about their doings. I sealed my letter, and then threw
myself back in my chair, and once more indulged in the reveries of the
night before. I had a new feeling suddenly sprung up in my heart, which
threatened to be a formidable rival to my ambition.

In two days the Firefly was ready, and I reported her as being so to
Captain C---. He gave me my orders, which were to cruise for six weeks,
and then to rejoin the admi