fully employed during the day in fitting out the
frigate; but in the evening I generally dined out at the admiral's or at
the officers' mess. I received several invitations from the marine mess
to dine with them; but I always contrived to be engaged, for I was
fearful that something might be said relative to my putative father,
Ben, which might hurt my pride. Not that I had any reason to suppose
that any of the officers would have been guilty of any such rudeness;
but as a great deal of wine was drank when company were at the mess, and
there were many young men there, it was possible that, having the
knowledge, they might in their cups say something which they never would
have done when they were sober. The colonel very often dined there, and
constantly asked me why I refused. My reply was certainly not the
truth, for I said that I was not very partial to marine officers.

We had been three weeks at Portsmouth when Colonel Delmar received a
letter from a friend of his, a Major Stapleton, which he read aloud to
me at breakfast. It stated that the major would be down at Portsmouth
the next day, and requested the colonel to procure him good rooms. "He
is an excellent fellow, the major," continued the colonel, "and will be
a great addition to our society. I will prevail upon him to stay a week
or ten days."

On my return from the dock-yard on the following day, I found the
colonel and Major Stapleton in our sitting-room, and was introduced to
him. He was a small, neatly-made man, with handsome features, very well
dressed, and of very fashionable appearance. Still there was something
in his eye which did not please me; it was unsettled and wandering, and
never fixed upon you for more than a second. He met me with great
warmth and _empressement_, shook me by the hand, and declared what
pleasure he had in making my acquaintance. We sat down to dinner, and
were very merry.

The major had been with us a week, when we had a large party to dinner.
The wine was passed freely, and we all were more or less elated. The
major appeared particularly so, and very much inclined to be
quarrelsome, and as he constantly addressed himself to me, I was very
cautious in what I said, as I perceived that he was in the humour to
take offence at anything. Several very offensive remarks were made by
him, as if to pick a quarrel between us, but I parried them as well as I
could, and I was making an observation, when the major started u