ides, I
have a crew of six men, without the cook and steward. If you want to
sell her, I'll buy her."
"She is yours now, and you may do as you please with her."
"Then I shall certainly take her home. She needs some repairs, and then
she will be as good as new."
"If the ladies are willing, we will all go on board of her," said Mr.
Watson. "We must make some arrangements for Mrs. Vincent and her
children, and attend to Mat Mogmore's case."
The party went on board of the yacht. Mr. Watson summoned the crew, as
soon as they reached the deck, and gave each of them a check for a
thousand dollars. This little incident made the day a happy one to
them, as well as to the members of Mr. Watson's family. He then asked
Mrs. Vincent what she purposed to do; and Levi offered her a return
passage in the yacht. She had been kind to Bessie, had been her
companion and friend in her distress, and her conduct merited a
grateful recognition. The poor woman did not know what to do. She had
no idea what her husband had done with all the money he had collected.
It was not to be found, and no one knew anything about it. It was
afterwards ascertained that the proceeds of the sale of his house and
furniture had been expended upon the fitting out of the Caribbee, and
he had deposited the ten thousand borrowed of Mr. Fairfield in Boston
until he was ready to leave the country.
Mrs. Vincent did not wish to return to her native land. Her husband had
ruined himself and disgraced his family, and she did not care to meet
the obloquy which awaited her in the midst of her friends. The consul
informed her, when she had stated her views, that she could make a good
living, and perhaps a competency, by keeping a boarding-house in
Melbourne. Mr. Watson promptly offered to assist her to the means for
making a beginning. Before the yacht sailed on her home voyage, the
consul had purchased for her such an establishment as she needed, and
she was in a fair way to do better for herself than her husband had
ever done for her.
The consul met the family in the cabin of the yacht, and Mat Mogmore's
case came up for discussion. The steward, and the other seamen from the
Caribbee, had gone on shore to shift for themselves, as Mat would have
done if he had been permitted.
"Mat says he got into a scrape, and Dock helped him out," said Levi,
when the matter was brought up. "The old rascal had him in his power
then, and made a tool of him in this business."
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