She turned round to me--I started back. I certainly had seen that face
before--I could not be mistaken; yet she had now grown up into a
beautiful young woman. "Celeste," said I, trembling. "Are you not
Celeste?"

"Yes," replied she, looking earnestly at me, as if she would discover
who I was, but which it was not very easy to do, begrimed as my face was
with dust and gunpowder.

"Have you forgotten Peter Simple?"

"O! no--no--never forgot you!" cried Celeste, bursting into tears, and
holding out her hands.

This scene occasioned no small astonishment to the parties on deck, who
could not comprehend it. She smiled through her tears, as I told her
how happy I was to have the means of being of service to her. "And
where is the colonel?" said I.

"There," replied she, pointing to the island; "he is now general, and
commands the force in the garrison. And where is Mr O'Brien?"
interrogated Celeste.

"There," replied I; "he commands that man-of-war, of which I am the
second lieutenant."

A rapid exchange of inquiries took place, and the boats were stopped
while we were in conversation. Swinburne reported that the brig was
standing in for us, and I felt that in justice to the wounded I could no
longer delay. Still I found time to press her hand, to thank her for
the purse she had given me when I was on the stilts, and to tell her
that I had never forgotten her, and never would. With many remembrances
to her father, I was handing her into the boat, when she said, "I don't
know whether I am right to ask it, but you could do me such a favour."

"What is it, Celeste?"

"You have allowed more than one-half of the men to pull us on shore;
some must remain, and they are so miserable--indeed it is hardly yet
decided which of them are to go. Could you let them all go?"

"That I will, for your sake, Celeste. As soon as your two boats have
shoved off, I will lower down the boat astern, and send the rest after
you; but I must make sail now--God bless you!"

The boats then shoved off, the passengers waving their handkerchiefs to
us, and I made sail for the brig. As soon as the stern-boat was
alongside, the rest of the crew were called up and put into her, and
followed their companions. I felt that O'Brien would not be angry with
me for letting them all go; and especially when I told him who begged
for them. The vessel's name was the _Victorine_, mounting fourteen
guns, and twenty-four men, with eleven passengers