he employment.
This suited me; and he then observed that I must have some notion of how
officers were managed, as I had been in the China trade, and that he
_thought_ that the vessel was to be employed in the contraband trade on
the English coast.

"This startled me a little, for I was afraid that the old gentleman was
laying a trap for my newly-acquired commodity; and I was about to refuse
with some slight show of indignation, when I perceived a change in his
countenance, indicative of disappointment--so I only demurred until he
had sufficient time to prove that there was no dishonesty in the
transaction, when, being convinced that he was in earnest, I consented.
Before the second bottle was finished, I found out that it was not for a
_friend_, but for himself, and for one of his own vessels, that he was
anxious to procure a smart captain; and that he had a large capital
embarked in the concern, which was very profitable. The pocket-book
which I had returned was of no little importance: had it fallen into
other hands, it might have told tales.

"I have now been three years in the old gentleman's employ, and a
generous good master he has been: and his daughter is a sweet pretty
girl. I lost my last vessel, but not until she had cleared him 10,000
pounds; and now the old gentleman is building me another at Havre. Not
to be quite idle, I have in the meantime taken command of one of their
sloops: for the old gentleman has a good many shares in the
_speculation_, and his recommendations are always attended to.

"_Voici, Monsieur Beaujou, avec les habits_," said the maitre d'auberge
opening the door and ushering in the marchand des modes _maritimes_,
with a huge bundle.

"Now, then, boy, rouse out," said McElvina, shaking our hero for a long
while, without any symptoms of recovering him from his lethargy.

"Try him on the other tack," said the captain, lifting him off the sofa,
and placing him upright on his legs.

"There's no sugar in it yet," said Willy, who was dreaming that he was
supplying the mulled claret to the old master's mate.

"Ah," said Debriseau, laughing, "he thinks his mamma is giving him his
tea."

"The lying little rascal told me this morning that he had no mother.
Come, Mr William Seymour, I _believe_" (mimicking)--"officer, I
_believe_--Oh, you're a nice honest boy. Have you a mother, or do you
tell fibs in your sleep as well as awake? `Be honest.'"

The last words that Willy had heard rep