s; he would be tried and punished,
and afterwards be set at liberty. How was it possible that he could
always avoid him, or escape being recognised? and how little chance had
he of escape from Furness's searching eye! Could he bribe him? Yes, he
could now; he was rich enough; but, if he did, one bribe would only be
followed up by a demand for another, and a threat of denouncement if he
refused. Flight appeared his only chance; but to leave his present
position--to leave Emma--it was impossible. Our hero did not leave his
room for the remainder of the day, but retired early to bed, that he
might cogitate, for sleep he could not. After a night of misery, the
effects of which were too visibly marked in his countenance on the
ensuing morning, Joey determined to make some inquiries relative to what
the fate of Furness might be; and, having made up his mind, he accosted
a sergeant of marines, with whom he had a slight acquaintance, and whom
he fell in with in the streets. He observed to him that he perceived
they had deserters brought in yesterday, and inquired from what ship
they had deserted, or from the barracks. The sergeant replied that they
had deserted from the _Niobe_ frigate, and had committed theft previous
to desertion; that they would remain in confinement at the barracks till
the _Niobe_ arrived; and that then they would be tried by a
court-martial, and, without doubt, for the double offence, would go
through the fleet.

Joey wished the sergeant good morning, and passed on in his way home.
His altered appearance had attracted the notice of not only his
partners, but of Mrs Phillips, and had caused much distress to the
latter. Our hero remained the whole day in the counting-house,
apparently unconcerned, but in reality thinking and rethinking, over and
over again, his former thoughts. At last he made up his mind that he
would wait the issue of the court-martial before he took any decided
steps; indeed, what to do he knew not.

We leave the reader to guess the state of mind in which Joey remained
for a fortnight previous to the return of the _Niobe_ frigate from a
Channel cruise. Two days after her arrival, the signal was made for a
court-martial. The sentence was well known before night; it was, that
the culprits were to go through the fleet on the ensuing day.

This was, however, no consolation to our hero; he did not feel animosity
against Furness so much as he did dread of him; he did not want his