ptain Willock's voice reassured her. Her daughter, who had been
watching while she slept, stood trembling by her side, but tried to look
as composed as she could. Captain Willock and the midshipmen soon made
them understand what had occurred, and begging them to be no longer
alarmed, promised that they would do their best, either to effect their
escape, or to obtain their ransom.

"Oh! but our friends are all in Australia; we have no one at Canton to
care for us," cried the young lady, wringing her hands.

"Never fear, miss," said Jack. "I beg your pardon, but I don't know
your name; but I don't doubt the merchants there will come down with all
that is required; and if not, the midshipmen on the station would be
delighted to pay your ransom, and take it out of the pirates afterwards,
when we catch them."

The young lady, who did not exactly understand who midshipmen were, or
what taking it out of the pirates meant, nevertheless thought Jack a
very polite young gentleman, and thanking him warmly, told him that her
name was Cecile Dubois, and that her mother was Madame Dubois, but that
she only spoke French, and as she was now too old to learn English, she
hoped he would learn French to talk to her. Jack, with a flourish of
his turban, which head-covering he and Murray wore instead of their
caps, which they had lost, assured her that he should have unbounded
pleasure in so doing, if she would undertake to teach him. "But, Miss
Cecile," added Jack, "now I know your name, it is pleasant to call you
by it; before we begin, wouldn't you like a little food? You and your
mamma must be peckish, I suspect, and she doesn't look as if she was
accustomed to starve." This want being made known to Jos, he in a short
time procured an inexplicable sort of mess not altogether unattractive,
to which, at all events, the old lady seemed perfectly ready to do
justice, though the younger one, with a taste which Jack admired, only
ate some of the rice, and the less oleaginous morsels.

Altogether the midshipmen were pretty well satisfied with the turn
affairs had taken; but poor Captain Willock had to mourn over the loss
of his ship and cargo, as also, probably, most of his crew. Some he had
seen taken prisoners, and dragged off on board the junks. Whether their
throats had been cut, or whether they were to be found among the pirate
fleet, he could not tell; others he had too great reason to fear had
been blown up. "They were cowa