ecessary expenses for their education, for their sole use and
benefit. Is that down?"

"Not yet, sir--`use and benefit.' Now it is, sir."

"Until they come to the age of twenty-one years; or in case of my
daughter, until she marries with the consent of my executors, then to be
equally and fairly valued and divided between them. You observe, Peter
I never make any difference between girls and boys--a good father will
leave one child as much as another. Now I'll take my breath a little."

I was really astonished. It was well known that Captain Kearney had
nothing but his pay, and that it was the hopes of prize-money to support
his family, which had induced him to stay out so long in the West
Indies. It was laughable; yet I could not laugh: there was a melancholy
feeling at such a specimen of insanity which prevented me.

"Now, Peter, we'll go on," said Captain Kearney, after a pause of a few
minutes. "I have a few legacies to bequeath. First, to all my servants
50 pounds each, and two suits of mourning; to my nephew, Thomas Kearney,
of Kearney Hall, Yorkshire, I bequeath the sword presented me by the
grand Sultan. I promised it to him, and, although we have quarrelled,
and not spoken for years, I always keep my word. The plate presented me
by the merchants and under-writers of Lloyd's I leave to my worthy
friend the Duke of Newcastle. Is that down?"

"Yes, sir."

"Well; my snuff-box, presented me by Prince Potemkin, I bequeath to
Admiral Sir Isaac Coffin; and, also, I release him from the mortgage
which I hold over his property of the Madeline Islands, in North
America. By-the-bye, say, and further, I bequeath to him the bag of
snuff presented to me by the Dey of Algiers; he may as well have the
snuff as he has the snuff-box. Is that down?"

"Yes, sir."

"Well then, now, Peter, I must leave you something."

"O, never mind me," replied I.

"No, no, Peter, I must not forget my cousin. Let me see, you shall have
my fighting sword. A real good one, I can tell you. I once fought a
duel with it at Palermo, and ran a Sicilian prince so clean through the
body, and it held so tight, that we were obliged to send for a pair of
post-horses to pull it out again. Put that down as a legacy for my
cousin, Peter Simple. I believe that is all. Now for my executors, and
I request my particular friends, the Earl of Londonderry, the Marquis of
Chandos, and Mr John Lubbock, banker, to be my executors, and leave
e