oving until the day after to-morrow.
Will that do?"

I thought it but a very short time, but I saw that the general looked as
if he expected me to consent; so I did.

"The boat can come and return again with some of your clothes:"
continued the general; "and I will tell Captain O'Brien that if he comes
off the mouth of the harbour the day after to-morrow, I will send you on
board in one of our boats."

He then took my letter, and quitted the room. As soon as he was gone, I
found myself quite well enough to go to Celeste, who waited for me, and
I told her what had passed. That morning I sat with her and the
general, and narrated all my adventures, which amused the general very
much. I did not conceal the conduct of my uncle, and the hopes which I
faintly entertained of being able, some day or another, to discover the
fraud which had been practised, or how very unfavourable were my future
prospects if I did not succeed. At this portion of my narrative, the
general appeared very thoughtful and grave. When I had finished it was
near dinner-time, and I found that my clothes had arrived with a letter
from O'Brien, who stated how miserable he had been at the supposition of
my loss, and his delight at my escape. He stated, that on going down
into the cabin after I had shoved off, he, by chance, cast his eyes on
the barometer, and, to his surprise, found that it had fallen two
inches, which he had been told was the case previous to a hurricane.
This, combined with the peculiar state of the atmosphere, had induced
him to make every preparation, and that they had just completed their
work when it came on. The brig was thrown on her beam ends, and lay
there for half-an-hour, when they were forced to cut away the masts to
right her. That they did not weather the point the next morning by more
than half a cable's length; and concluded by saying, that the idea of my
death had made him so unhappy, that if it had not been for the sake of
the men, it was almost a matter of indifference to him whether he had
been lost or not. He had written to General O'Brien, thanking him for
his kindness: and that, if fifty vessels should pass the brig, he would
not capture one of them, until I was on board again, even if he were
dismissed the service for neglect of duty. He said, that the brig
sailed almost as fast under jury-masts as she did before, and that, as
soon as I came on board, he should go back to Barbadoes. "As for your
ribs b