ention to his steward which
was rendered by the other three persons present, went to Church again, in
respect of the steward's hat. And a most especially agitated and
memorable face the captain produced from it, after a short pause.

"Now, Tom," said the captain, "I spoke to you, when we first came here,
respecting your constitutional weakness on the subject of sun-stroke."

"You did, sir."

"Will my slow friend," said the captain, "lend me his arm, or I shall
sink right back'ards into this blessed steward's cookery? Now, Tom,"
pursued the captain, when the required assistance was given, "on your
oath as a steward, didn't you take that desk to pieces to make a better
one of it, and put it together fresh,--or something of the kind?"

"On my oath I did, sir," replied the steward.

"And by the blessing of Heaven, my friends, one and all," cried the
captain, radiant with joy,--"of the Heaven that put it into this Tom
Pettifer's head to take so much care of his head against the bright
sun,--he lined his hat with the original leaf in Tregarthen's
writing,--and here it is!"

With that the captain, to the utter destruction of Mr. Pettifer's
favourite hat, produced the book-leaf, very much worn, but still legible,
and gave both his legs such tremendous slaps that they were heard far off
in the bay, and never accounted for.

"A quarter past five p.m.," said the captain, pulling out his watch, "and
that's thirty-three hours and a quarter in all, and a pritty run!"

How they were all overpowered with delight and triumph; how the money was
restored, then and there, to Tregarthen; how Tregarthen, then and there,
gave it all to his daughter; how the captain undertook to go to
Dringworth Brothers and re-establish the reputation of their forgotten
old clerk; how Kitty came in, and was nearly torn to pieces, and the
marriage was reappointed, needs not to be told. Nor how she and the
young fisherman went home to the post-office to prepare the way for the
captain's coming, by declaring him to be the mightiest of men, who had
made all their fortunes,--and then dutifully withdrew together, in order
that he might have the domestic coast entirely to himself. How he
availed himself of it is all that remains to tell.

Deeply delighted with his trust, and putting his heart into it, he raised
the latch of the post-office parlour where Mrs. Raybrock and the young
widow sat, and said,--

"May I come in?"

"Sure you may, Captain Jorg