_other_ articles of value."

"Be it so," replied the gentleman, who perfectly understood her
sarcastic meaning, but did not think it advisable to retort at the
moment; "One post-chaise will carry us all; but we must leave town at
twelve o'clock this night. If I recollect right, we are asked to a rout
at Lady G---'s?"

"We are; but pray, Mr Rainscourt, how am I to get ready so soon? The
servants must be paid--all the bills must be called in."

"If you wait until I can pay all the bills, you must wait till eternity,
perhaps. Pack up everything that is portable, without the knowledge of
the servants; your jewels you can have upon your own person, or in a
pocket, if you ever wear one. Order the carriage--dress, and we will
both go to the rout. I shall leave word with Roberts to bring me any
letters which may be sent, telling him that the admiral is not dead yet,
although hourly expected--nothing has transpired to the contrary. I can
slip away from the rout, and write the letter myself, which I will send
by a porter. When I go home, and the chaise which I shall order is at
the door, I will put Emily in it, and call for you at Lady G's. The
servants may suspect something, but it will then be too late."

Danger will unite those who are at variance. Mrs R entered readily
into the proposed arrangements, which necessity imposed upon them, and
in a few hours, father, mother, and daughter were on their way to
Ireland, leaving the house-rent, butcher's, baker's, chandler's and all
other bills, of no trifling sum total, to be paid at some more
favourable opportunity. The servants indemnified themselves as well as
they could, by seizing what was left, and cursing the elopers; and the
obsequious little gentleman in black vowed vengeance as he quitted the
deserted mansion, to which he had paid his promised visit in the
morning, with a particular friend or two, to enforce his arguments with
Mr Rainscourt.

CHAPTER NINETEEN.

_Fal_.
Have you provided me here half a dozen sufficient men?
_Shal_.
Marry have we, sir.
_Fal_.
Let me see them, I beseech you.
_Shal_.
Where's the roll! where's the roll!
Let them appear as I call.
SHAKESPEARE.

As the reader will have a more intimate acquaintance with them
hereafter, I must now enter into some description of the characters of
the captain and officers, with whom our hero was fated to be a shipmate.
To begin with the captain, who has already made his