the leech of the sail, a dark-looking female fluttered over his head
and caused her long hair to whisk into his face, in a manner that
compelled him to shut his eyes, which gave occasion to a smart reprimand
from the reefer of the top. There was a feeble attempt to explain this
assault, by the man who lay next to Yarn, who affected to think the hair
was no more than the end of a gasket whipping in the wind; but his
shipmate, who had pulled one of the oars of the yawl, soon silenced this
explanation, by the virtue of his long-established reputation for
veracity. Even Trysail ventured several mysterious conjectures concerning
the fate of the brigantine, in the gun-room; but, on returning from the
duty of sounding the inlet, whither he had been sent by his captain, he
was less communicative and more thoughtful than usual. It appeared,
indeed, from the surprise that was manifested by every officer that heard
the report of the quarter-master, who had given the casts of the lead on
this service, that no one in the ship, with the exception of Alderman Van
Beverout, was at all aware that there was rather more than two fathoms of
water in that secret passage.

Chapter XVIII.

"Sirs, take your places, and be vigilant."

Henry IV.

The succeeding day was one in which the weather had a fixed character. The
wind was east, and, though light, not fluctuating. The air had that thick
and hazy appearance, which properly belongs to the Autumn in this climate,
but which is sometimes seen at midsummer, when a dry wind blows from the
ocean. The roll of the surf, on the shore, was regular and monotonous, and
the currents of the air were so steady as to remove every apprehension of
a change. The moment to which the action of the tale is transferred, was
in the earlier hours of the afternoon.

At that time the Coquette lay again at her anchors, just within the
shelter of the cape. There were a few small sails to be seen passing up
the bay; but the scene, as was common at that distant day, presented
little of the activity of our own times, to the eye. The windows of the
Lust in Rust were again open, and the movement of the slaves, in and about
the villa, announced the presence of its master.

The Alderman was in truth, at the hour named, passing the little lawn in
front of la Cour des Fees, accompanied by Oloff Van Staats and the
commander of the cruiser. It was evident, by the frequent glances which
the latter threw i