thing was to sail away in the night quite quiet, and after that take up
a position that would come across the enemy on the larboard tack, if so
be as he made his appearance."

"Oh, you allude to watching the Hall, I presume?"

"Ay, ay, sir, just so; but would you believe it, Master Charlie, the
admiral and the doctor got so blessed drunk that I could do nothing with
'em."

"Indeed!"

"Yes, they did indeed, and made all kinds of queer mistakes, so that the
end of all that was, that the vampyre did come; but he got away again."

"He did come then; Sir Francis Varney came again after the house was
presumed to be deserted?"

"He did, sir."

"That is very strange; what on earth could have been his object? This
affair is most inexplicably mysterious. I hope the distance, Jack, is
not far that you're taking me, for I'm incapable of enduring much
fatigue."

"Not a great way, your honour; keep two points to the westward, and sail
straight on; we'll soon come to port. My eye, won't there be a squall
when you get in. I expect as Miss Flora will drop down as dead as a
herring, for she doesn't think you're above the hatches."

"A good thought, Jack; my sudden appearance may produce alarm. When we
reach the place of abode of the Bannerworths, you shall precede me, and
prepare them in some measure for my reception."

"Very good, sir; do you see that there little white cottage a-head,
there in the offing?"

"Yes, yes; is that the place?"

"Yes, your honour, that's the port to which we are bound."

"Well, then, Jack, you hasten a-head, and see Miss Flora, and be sure
you prepare her gently and by degrees, you know, Jack, for my
appearance, so that she shall not be alarmed."

"Ay, ay, sir, I understand; you wait here, and I'll go and do it; there
would be a squall if you were to make your appearance, sir, all at once.
She looks upon you as safely lodged in Davy's locker; she minds me, all
the world, of a girl I knew at Portsmouth, called Bet Bumplush. She was
one of your delicate little creatures as don't live long in this here
world; no, blow me; when I came home from a eighteen months' cruise,
once I seed her drinking rum out of a quart pot, so I says, 'Hilloa,
what cheer?' And only to think now of the wonderful effect that there
had upon her; with that very pot she gives the fellow as was standing
treat a knobber on the head as lasted him three weeks. She was too good
for this here world, she was, and too rummantic