erfully opened her stores of knowledge. As
she proceeded in her account of the secret conferences between Deacon
Pratt and her late inmate, her zeal became quickened, and she omitted
nothing that she had ever heard, besides including a great deal that she
had not heard. But her companion was accustomed to such narratives, and
knew reasonably well how to make allowances. He listened with a
determination not to believe more than half of what she said, and by dint
of long experience, he succeeded in separating the credible portions of
the woman's almost breathless accounts, from those that ought to have been
regarded as incredible, with a surprising degree of success. The greatest
difficulty in the way of comprehending the Widow White's report, arose
from the fact that she had altogether missed the preliminary and most
explicit conference. This left so much to be understood and inferred,
that, in her own efforts to supply the deficiencies, she made a great deal
of confusion in the statements. Captain Daggett was fully assured that the
deacon knew of the existence of the sealing-island, at least; though he
was in doubt whether the rumour that had been brought to him, touching the
buried treasure, had also been imparted to this person. The purchase and
equipment of the Sea Lion, taken in connection with the widow's account,
were enough, of themselves, to convince one of his experience and
foresight, that an expedition after seal was then fitting out, on the
information derived from his deceased relative. Of this much he had no
doubt; but he was not able to assure himself, quite so satisfactorily,
that the key was to be looked at by the way.

The interview between Captain Daggett and the Widow White lasted more than
an hour. In that time the former had gleaned all the information the
latter could give, and they parted on the best terms in the world. It is
true that the captain gave the widow nothing--he had acquitted his
conscience on this score, by re-paying the deacon the money the last had
advanced--but he listened in the most exemplary manner to all she had to
say; and, with a certain class of vehement talkers, the most favoured
being in the world is your good listener. Interest had given the stranger
an air of great attention, and the delighted woman had poured out her
torrent of words in a way that gratified, in the highest degree, her
intense desire to be imparting information. When they separated, it was
with an unders