"

"He is long past all reformation," remarked Dr. Chillingworth; "it is
out of the question."

"And I am afraid my uncle will not have courage to attempt such an
ungrateful task, when there is so little chance of success," replied
Charles Holland, shaking the worthy doctor by the hand. "Farewell, for
the present, sir; the next time I see you, I hope we shall both be more
pleasantly situated."

"Come along, nevey," interrupted Jack Pringle; "now you've found your
way back, the first thing you ought to do, is to report yourself as
having come aboard. Follow me, and I'll soon show yer the port where the
old hulk's laid hisself up."

Jack walked on first, tolerably steady, if one may take into account his
divers deep potations, and Charles Holland, anticipating with delight
again looking upon the face of his much loved Flora, followed closely
behind him.

We can well imagine the world of delightful thoughts that came crowding
upon him when Jack, after rather a long walk, announced that they were
now very near the residence of the object of his soul's adoration.

We trust that there is not one of our readers who, for one moment, will
suppose that Charles Holland was the sort of man to leave even such a
villain and double-faced hypocrite as Marchdale, to starve amid the
gloomy ruins where he was immured.

Far from Charles's intentions was any such thing; but he did think that
a night passed there, with no other company than his own reflections,
would do him a world of good, and was, at all events, no very great
modicum of punishment for the rascality with which he had behaved.

Besides, even during that night there were refreshments in the shape of
bread and water, such as had been presented to Charles himself, within
Marchdale's reach as they had been within his.

That individual now, Charles thought, would have a good opportunity of
testing the quality of that kind of food, and of finding out what an
extremely light diet it was for a strong man to live upon.

But in the morning it was Charles's intention to take Henry Bannerworth
and the admiral with him to the ruins, and then and there release the
wretch from his confinement, on condition that he made a full confession
of his villanies before those persons.

Oh, how gladly would Marchdale have exchanged the fate which actually
befell him for any amount of personal humiliation, always provided that
it brought with it a commensurate amount of personal safety.