Captain Wallingford, of the American ship Dawn. His vessel foundered in
a gale, and all hands were lost but this gentleman, his mate, and a negro.
We have had them on board, now, more than three months."

A long, low whistle escaped from Lord Harry Dermond, who immediately
walked up to me, raised his hat, and commenced a very disagreeable sort of
a dialogue, by saying--"Your servant, Mr. Wallingford! We meet under very
unusual circumstances, and somewhat often. The last time was at a rather
interesting moment to me, and one in which I was so much engaged, that I
had not leisure properly to pay my respects to you. Mr. Clements, I have a
little business to transact with this gentleman, and must ask the favour
of your company and his, for a few minutes, in your cabin."

No objection could be raised to this request; and I followed the two
officers into the Briton's cabin.

Chapter XXV.

O I hae scarce to lay me on,
If kingly fields were ance my ain;
Wi' the moor-cock on the mountain-bree,
But hardship na'er can daunton me.

Scottish Song.

There was an air of cool deliberation about Lord Harry Dermond, which
satisfied me I should have to pass through a trying ordeal; and I prepared
myself for the occasion. Nothing was said until all three of us were in
the after-cabin, when Clements and his visiter took seats on the sofa, and
a motion was made to me to occupy a chair. Then Lord Harry Dermond
commenced the discourse, in a manner more serious than I could
have wished.

"Mr. Wallingford," he said, "there is little need of preliminaries between
you and me. I recollected your ship, when the Black Prince and Speedy were
in the act of closing with the Frenchmen, three months since; and I need
scarcely say that the manner in which she got back to the place where I
then saw her, requires an explanation at your hands."

"It shall be given to you, my lord. Believing you had no right to send in
the Dawn, and knowing that a detention of any length would prove my ruin,
I regained possession of my own by the best means that offered."

"This is at least frank, sir. You mean to be understood that you rose on
my people in the night, murdered them, and that you subsequently lost your
vessel from a want of force to take care of her."

"This is partly true, and partly a mistake. I certainly should not have
lost my ship had I been as strong-handed in the gale in which she was
destroyed, as she was the day she le