re you I have
been honest and sincere with you, telling you nothing but the truth. I
hated and condemned the vices of His Highness as much as you do,
Captain; I have told him so to his face, and that was the foundation of
his reformation."

Captain Ringgold concluded to hear the story.

CHAPTER XXXVI

AN ALMOST MIRACULOUS CONVERSION

It was a long story which Captain Penn Sharp told of his relations with
Ali-Noury Pacha; and his visitor was so incredulous at first that he
appeared to have solemnly resolved not to accept anything as the truth.
But the character of the speaker left its impress all along the
narrative; and Captain Ringgold was compelled to believe, just as the
hardened sinner is sometimes forced to accept the truth when presented
to him by the true evangelist, though his teeth were set against it.

"You gentlemen with millions in your trousers pockets are subject to
perils which we of moderate means are not exposed to," the commander of
the Blanche began.

"That means you, and not me," suggested the visitor.

"You have the reputation of being a rich man, whether you are one or
not. My wife is rich, and I am only well off; but never mind that now,"
replied Captain Sharp. "I saw General Noury, as we will call him after
this if you do not object, for that is the name by which he chooses to
be known, in Gibraltar several times, and I knew all about your affair
with him there; but I did not get acquainted with him, for I despised
him as much as you did.

"I sailed from the Rock, and took my wife to a great many of the ports
of Europe, and some in Africa, including Egypt; but I am not going to
tell you about our travels. We went from Alexandria to Malta, Syracuse,
and to Messina; and it was at this last port that I fell in with General
Noury. His steamer, I forget her name,"--

"The Fatime; but Felix McGavonty always called her the Fatty."

"The Fatty anchored within a cable's length of me before I had been
there two hours, and the Pacha went ashore at once. That night my wife
was sick, and I went to the city to procure a certain medicine for her.
I happened into a shop where no one could speak English, and I don't
speak anything else. I was just going off to find another place where
they did speak English, when a gentleman rose from a chair with some
difficulty and offered his services.

"It was General Noury. He had been drinking, but was not very badly off.
He was as polite as a dancing-