ORE--
MEETING WITH UNCLE KELSON--JERRY PREPARES MY WIFE FOR THE INTERVIEW--
TEMPTED TO DESERT--A HAPPY TIME--JERRY'S RECOLLECTIONS--ON BOARD THE
ARETHUSA--YARNS--A GHOST STORY--A SLIPPERY DECK--THE PIRATES' HEADS.

The _Nymph_ under all plain sail, our prize following in our wake,
glided on past Southsea Castle--the yellow beach, the green expanse of
the common, the lines of houses and cottages beyond the Postdown hills
rising in the distance, the batteries of Gosport and Portsmouth ahead,
the masts of numberless vessels of all sizes seen beyond them.

I waited at my station in the fore-top for the order to shorten sail I
cast many a glance towards the shore, where she whom I loved best on
earth was, I fancied, gazing at the two ships with thousands of other
spectators, little supposing that I was on board one of them. As we
entered the harbour, we heard with joyous hearts the order given to
shorten sail. The boatswain's pipe sounded shrilly; the topmen flew
aloft. Never did a ship's crew pull and haul, and run out on the yards,
with greater alacrity to furl the canvas.

The water was covered with boats, the people standing up and waving and
cheering. It was no easy matter to steer clear of them as we stood up
the harbour. When rounding to off the dockyard, the anchor was dropped,
the cable running out like lightning, as if eager to do its duty and
help to bring us safe home. The prize then massing us, brought up close
under our stern.

Scarcely was the cable stoppered, and the ship made snug, than hundreds
of boats pulled up alongside, those on board anxious to hear all about
the victory we had gained.

Among the first was a somewhat battered-looking wherry, with a little
wizened old man and a boy pulling. The former, catching sight of me as
I stretched my neck through a port, throwing in his oar, uttered a shout
of astonishment, and then, with the agility of a monkey, quickly
clambered up the side by a rope I hove to him.

"What! Will, Will, is it you yourself?" exclaimed Jerry Vincent,
wringing my hand and gazing into my face. "We all thought you were far
away in the East Indies, and Mistress Kelson made up her mind that you'd
never come back from that hot region where they fry beefsteaks on the
capstan-head."

"But my wife--my wife! is she well? Oh, tell me, Mr Vincent," I
exclaimed, interrupting him. "She expected me to come back."

"She's well enough, if not so hearty as we'd be wishing; for, t