the whole course of his life.

While this scene was enacting, and ere Jo Bumpus had effectually wiped
away the tears from his eyes, and cleared the bacon out of his windpipe,
the door opened, and the commander of H.M.S. _Talisman_ entered.

Edmund Montague was a young man to hold such a responsible position in
the navy; but he was a bold, vigorous little Englishman--a sort of
gentlemanly and well-educated John Bull terrier; of frank address,
agreeable manners, and an utterly reckless temperament, which was
qualified and curbed, however, by good sense, and hard-earned
experience.

"Good day to you, Mrs Stuart; I trust you will forgive my abrupt
intrusion, but urgent business must be my excuse. I have called to have
a little further conversation with your son, respecting that rascally
pirate who has given me so much trouble. If he will have the goodness
to take a short walk with me, I shall be much indebted."

"By all means," said Henry, rising and putting on his cap.

"Perhaps," said Gascoyne, as they were about to leave the room, "if the
commander of the _Talisman_ would condescend to take a little
information from a stranger, he might learn something to the purpose
regarding the pirate Durward; for he it is, I presume, of whom you are
in search."

"I shall be happy to gain information from any source," replied
Montague, eyeing the captain narrowly. "Are you a resident in this
island?"

"No, I am not; my home is on the sea, and has been since I was a lad."

"Ah! you have fallen in with this pirate then on your native ocean, I
fancy, and have disagreeable cause to remember him, perchance," said
Montague, smiling. "Has he given you much trouble?"

"Ay, that he has," replied Gascoyne, with a sudden scowl of ferocity.
"No one in these seas has received so much annoyance from him as I have.
Any one who could rid them of his presence would do good service to the
cause of humanity. But," he added, while a grim smile overspread his
handsome face, "it is said that few vessels can cope with his schooner
in speed, and I can answer for it that he is a bold man, fond of
fighting, with plenty of reckless cut-throats to back him, and more
likely to give chase to a sloop-of-war than to shew her his heels. I
trust you are well manned and armed, Captain Montague, for this Durward
is a desperate fellow, I assure you."

The young commander's countenance flushed as he replied, "Your anxiety
on my account, sir, is quite unc