hat is no longer a young man has had his
moments of passion, like all that are born of woman. Messieurs, I have
no more to say: you know the rest. If you condemn me, let it be as an
unfortunate Frenchman, whose heart had its weaknesses--not as an
ignominious and treacherous spy."

The earnestness and nature with which Raoul spoke were not without
effect. Could Sir Frederick have had his way, the prisoner would have
been acquitted on the spot. But Lyon was skeptical as to the story of
love, a sentiment about which he knew very little; and there was a
spirit of opposition in him, too, that generally induced him to take the
converse of most propositions that were started. The prisoner was
dismissed, and the court closed its doors, to make up its decision by
itself, in the usual form.

We should do injustice to Cuffe, if we did not say that he had some
feeling in favor of the gallant foe who had so often foiled him. Could
he have had his will at that moment, he would have given Raoul his
lugger, allowed the latter a sufficient start, and then gladly have
commenced a chase round the Mediterranean, to settle all questions
between them. But it was too much to give up the lugger as well as the
prisoner. Then his oath as a judge had its obligations also, and he felt
himself bound to yield to the arguments of the Judge Advocate, who was a
man of technicalities, and thought no more of sentiment than
Lyon himself.

The result of the deliberation, which lasted an hour, was a finding
against the prisoner. The court was opened, the record made up and read,
the offender introduced, and the judgment delivered. The finding was,
"that Raoul Yvard had been caught in disguise, in the midst of the
allied fleets, and that he was guilty as a spy." The sentence was, to
suffer death the succeeding day by hanging at the yard-arm of such ship
as the commander-in-chief might select, on approving of the sentence.

As Raoul expected little else, he heard his doom with steadiness, bowing
with dignity and courtesy to the court, as he was led away to be placed
in irons, as befitted one condemned.

CHAPTER XIX.

"The world's all title-page; there's no contents;
The world's all face; the man who shows his heart,
Is hooted for his nudities, and scorned."

_Night Thoughts_

Bolt had not been tried. His case had several serious difficulties, and
the orders allowed of a discretion. The punishment could scarcely be
less than