ad it again,
child; yes, read every syllable of it again!"

Mary complied, delighted enough to hear all she could of Roswell's
success.

"Why, uncle," said the deeply-interested girl, "all this oil is
spermaceti! It is worth a great deal more than so much of that which comes
of the right whale."

"More! Ay, nearly as three for one. Hunt me up the last Spectator,
girl--hunt me up the last Spectator, and let me see at once at what they
quote spalm."

Mary soon found the journal, and handed it to her uncle.

"Yes, here it is, and quoted $1.12-1/2 per gallon, as I live! That's nine
shillings a gallon, Mary--just calculate on that bit of paper--thirty
times one hundred and seventy-seven, Mary; how much is that, child?"

"I make it 5310, uncle--yes, that is right. But what are the 30 times for,
sir?"

"Gallons, gal, gallons. Each barrel has 30 gallons in it, if not more.
There ought to be 32 by rights, but this is a cheating age. Now, multiply
5310 by 9, and see what that comes to."

"Just 47,790, sir, as near as I can get it."

"Yes, that's the shillings. Now, divide 47,790 by 8, my dear. Be actyve,
Mary, be actyve."

"It leaves 5973, with a remainder of 6, sir. I believe I'm right."

"I dare say you are, child; yes, I dare say you are. This is the dollars.
A body may call them $6000, as the barrels will a little overrun the 30
gallons. My share of this will be two-thirds, and that will nett the
handsome sum of, say $4000!"

The deacon rubbed his hands with delight, and having found his voice
again, his niece was astonished at hearing him utter what he had to say,
with a sort of glee that sounded in her ears as very unnatural, coming
from him. So it was, however, and she dutifully endeavoured not to think
of it.

"Four thousand dollars, Mary, will quite cover the first cost of the
schooner; that is without including outfit and spare-rigging, of which her
master took about twice as much as was necessary. He's a capital fellow,
is that young Gar'ner, and will make an excellent husband, as I've always
told you, child. A little wasteful, perhaps, but an excellent youth at the
bottom. I dare say he lost his spars off Cape Hatteras in trying to
outsail that Daggett; but I overlook all that now. He's a capital youth to
work upon a whale or a sea-elephant! There isn't his equal, as I'll
engage, in all Ameriky, if you'll only let him know where to find the
creatur's. I knew his character before I engaged him; for no