r in the western harbor. For half an hour the several
crews were occupied in furling sails, squaring yards, hauling taut the
running rigging, and putting everything in order on board.

The accommodation ladder of the ship, which was a regular flight of
stairs, had hardly been rigged before a white barge, pulled by four
men, came alongside. The oarsmen were dressed in blue uniform, and
wore tarpaulin hats, upon which was painted the word "Grace,"
indicating the yacht to which they belonged. The bowman fastened his
boat-hook to the steps, and the rest of the crew tossed their oars in
man-of-war style. In the stern-sheets, whose seats were cushioned with
red velvet plush, were three persons, all of whom were old friends of
our readers. Captain Paul Kendall, the owner and commander of the
Grace, though he is a few inches taller and a few pounds heavier than
when we last saw him, was hardly changed in his appearance. Even his
side whiskers and mustache did not sensibly alter his looks, for his
bright eye and his pleasant smile were still the key to his
expression. The Grace carried the American yacht flag, and her
commander wore the blue uniform of the club to which he belonged.

Three years before, Paul Kendall had experienced a heavy loss in the
death of his mother. She had inherited a very large fortune, which,
however, was held in trust for her son, until he reached his majority.
At the age of twenty-one, therefore, Paul came to an inheritance
bequeathed by his grandfather, which made him a _millionnaire_. His
fortune had been carefully invested by the trustees, and now all he
had to do was to collect and spend his income, of which there was a
considerable accumulation when he attained his majority. Paul was a
young man of high moral and religious principle. He had never spent a
dollar in dissipation of any kind, and though he knew the world, he
was as child-like and innocent as when he was an infant.

His tastes were decidedly nautical, and the first large expenditure
from his ample wealth was in the building of the yacht Grace, which
was now anchored near the Young America. She was a beautiful craft in
every respect, constructed as strong as wood and iron could make her.
As her cabin was to be Paul's home during a portion of the year, it
was fitted up with every appliance of comfort, convenience, and
luxury. It contained a piano, a large library, and every available
means of amusement for the hours of a long passage.