had it
been in your power, you would have brought back to me my child. Even
now I have a hope that you may possibly restore her to me."

Jack spent some time with his friends, and finally came to the
resolution of returning to the West Indies, in order to make inquiries
about Elizabeth and Dame Pearson.

"I will first go to the Admiralty and ascertain where the `Venus'
frigate now is, and then I will communicate with Captain Davis," said
Deane. "Should he be unable to give me the information I desire, I will
immediately set off on my projected voyage."

Captain Deane had been invited to return to Mr Gournay's to supper. On
entering the house, the excellent quaker met him with a letter in his
hand.

"I have just received this," he said, "from your brother-in-law Giles
Dainsforth. He mentions a curious circumstance which occurred some time
ago, which may tend to solve the mystery concerning the fate of
Elizabeth de Mertens and her friend. He writes me word that information
had been received in the plantation of the wreck of a ship on an island
off the American coast, with several passengers, among whom were said to
be some ladies. A small boat which had left the island, had, after a
long voyage, the people undergoing great hardships, reached the
mainland. They had come in the hopes of obtaining relief for those left
behind. As soon as the information was received, a meeting of the
inhabitants of Philadelphia was held, and it was resolved to send out a
vessel for the rescue of the sufferers. Unfortunately, friend Giles
does not mention the name of the vessel or the passengers, except
casually he refers to the loss of a queen's ship."

This was indeed important information. It raised Captain Deane's hopes
of the possibility of discovering Elizabeth; at the same time he was
well aware that there were many probabilities of the wreck being that of
some other vessel.

"Friend Dainsforth is very anxious that we should send out a vessel with
a cargo of which he may dispose. It is a business in which I myself am
not willing to enter," observed Mr Gournay; "but thou mayest find
friends in Nottingham who will be more ready to engage in the
speculation, and being thyself a seaman of experience, thou mightest
take the command of it. It will be far better for thee than following
the occupation of fighting, in which thou hast been engaged."

The plan thus suggested by Mr Gournay was much in accordance with
Jack's t