ppearance, and told our
hero that the friar had been summoned away by the abbot, and would not
return for some time.

"I came to tell you this news," said Don Philip, "as I thought it would
please you; the sooner you are now well, the better. I mean to propose
your both being removed to my father's palazzo, and then you can recover
your lost ground during the confessor's absence."

"And I have the means," replied Jack, showing the friar's letter. Don
Philip read it with astonishment, but was still more surprised when he
heard the whole story from Jack. He was for a time silent: at last he
said:

"I am sorry for your poor black."

"Why so?" replied Jack.

"You will never see him again, depend upon it. A thousand dollars would
sign the death-warrant of a thousand blacks; but there is another
reason--they will put him out of the way that he may not give evidence.
Where is the powder?"

"Mesty has it; he would not part with it."

"He is a shrewd fellow, that black; he may be too much for the friar,"
replied Don Philip.

"He means mischief, I'm sure," replied Gascoigne.

"Still I feel a great deal of alarm about him," replied Easy; "I wish
now that I had not let him go."

"Are you sure that he went?"

"No, I am not; but the friar told him that he should take him to the
mountains as soon as it was dark."

"And probably he will," replied Don Philip, "as the best place to get
rid of him. However, the whole of this story must be told both to my
father and my mother; to the former that he may take the right measures,
and to my mother that it may open her eyes. Give me the copy of the
letter you wrote to the friar, and then I shall have it all."

The report of the accident which had occurred to Easy and Gascoigne had
been spread and fully believed throughout Palermo. Indeed, as usual, it
had been magnified, and asserted that they could not recover. To Agnes
only had the case been imparted in confidence by Don Philip, for her
distress at the first intelligence had been so great that her brother
could not conceal it.

Two days after Don Philip had made his parents acquainted with the
villainy of the friar, the midshipmen were transported to the palazzo,
much to the surprise of everybody, and much to the renown of the
surgeons, who were indemnified for their duplicity and falsehood by an
amazing extension of their credit as skilful men.

After their arrival at the palazzo, Don Rebiera was also entrusted wi