thus to call you,) I fear I have been can easily be divined that she had somewhat abrupt with you. Forgive given her hand to save a parent, me if I have been too bold in thus and that she had come abroad with forcing on you the history of one for a husband, who, dying, had there whom I have little reason and less left her a widow, and-alas ! for me right to suppose you still interested. -a rich widow. If the limits of Bury in oblivion some passages in my little manuscript would allow, I it, and forgive the biographer if he could tell a long tale of well-mahave expanded a little too freely on naged treachery and deception; feelings which may be unacceptable how the ill-natured countess sufferto your ear." I stretched out my ed me to remain in the belief that hand as I spoke, and we warmly the death of Captain Cameron's shook hands, as two old friends in niece, which occurred at Athe first moment of meeting. shortly after my departure, was that of my own Margaret; how, in her character of supreme manager of the paralytic officer's affairs, she kept my letters for her own exclusive eye; how she worked on Mar garet's feelings to bring about a marriage with the Earl of Falcondale, in the hope of again acquiring a maternal footing in her son's house, and the right of managing a portionless and now broken-spirited daughter-in-law; how Margaret held out stoutly until informed of my broken faith; and how her marriage was kept from the public papers. For the countess, although I feel assured that there was a something inexpressibly soothing in her feelings in thus over-reaching and punishing one who had so often mortified her self-importance,—yet I do believe that the love of concealment, and management, and plotting, and bringing things about by her own exclusive agency, was, after all, the primum mobile in this affair. She had too little feeling herself even to conceive the pang she was inflicting on me, and she doubtless considered herself the supreme benefactress of Margaret.

I had been longing to know somewhat of Margaret's own history,-wherefore she had visited Malta, &c. ; but she seemed to have no intention of gratifying my curiosity, and I only too feelingly divined that her parent's altered circumstances had sent her out the humble companion of the Countess of Falcondale. "I am aware," I said, smiling, "that I have more than one old acquaintance in this vessel; and, in truth, when I heard that my former friend-I had nearly said enemythe Countess of Falcondale, was on board, I felt half inclined to relinquish the voyage." Margaret he sitated then said, half-smiling, half-sad, "I cannot autobiographize as my friend has done. But-but -perhaps you heard of the unhappy state of my dear parent's affairs -and his daughter was prevailed on to take a step-perhaps a false Well-well, I cannot tell my history. Peace be with the dead! -every filial, every conjugal feeling consecrate their ashes!-But make yourself easy; my mother-inlaw is not here. You will find but one dowager countess in this vessel, and she now shakes your hand, and bids you a good night." Margaret hastily disappeared as she spoke, and left me in a state- -But I will teaze no one with my half-dreamlike feelings on that night.

one.

Well, I failed not to visit my noble fellow-passenger on the morrow; and day after day, while we lay on these becalmed waves, I renewed my intercourse with Margaret. It

As my intimacy with Margaret increased, I reflected with additional pain on her marriage. In the first place, I could not bear to think of her having belonged to another; and, in the second, I felt that her rank and wealth might give to my addresses an air of self-interest which I felt they did not deserve. I dreaded the end of my voyage as much as I had at first desired it,

I were awake or dreaming. When I thought how long, and how fearlessly, the "Elizabeth" had lain amid the trading-vessels at Valetta, and how she had sailed from that port under a powerful convoy, I was almost tempted to believe that Girod had been practising a joke on me. As, however, I heard voices near, I determined to lie still, and gather what information I could. "What have you been doing there?" said a voice I had never heard before, and whose ruffianly tones could hardly be subdued by his efforts at a whisper. "My pipe go out," answered Girod Jaqueminot, "and I not an imprudent to light it at de beenacle. So I go just hold it over de lamp of Monsieur, and he sleep, sleep, snore, snore all de while, and know noting. I have never seed one man dorme so profound."

be eight good sacks in the forecas-
tle, and we can spare them due
ballast. That would do the job de-
cently enough for our passengers
ha!" Here there was something
jocose in the captain's tone. "Oh!
mine goot captain, you are man of
speeret,' observed Jaqueminot ;
"but were it not wise to see dat
sail no more, before we show dat
we no vile merchanters, but men of
de trade dat make de money by de
valor?"-"There is something in
that," observed Jack; "if the con-
voy come up, and our passengers
be missing, 'tis over with us.
can no longer pass for a trader ;
and to hoist the Demon colors, and
turn to with frigate and sloop both,
were to put rash odds against us."

We

"And de coot sacks wasted for noting," said Jaqueminot, with a cool ingenuity that contrasted curiI now heard the voices of the ously with his vehement and horrorcaptain, Girod, and the ruffian, in stricken manner in my cabin. “Betclose and earnest parlance. The ter to wait one day-two day-parexpletives that graced it shall be bleu ! tree day-than spoil our sport omitted. But what first confirmed by de precipitation."" I grudge my fears was the hearing our cap- the keep of these dainty passengers tain obsequiously address the ruf- all this while," said the captain, fian-speaker as commander of the roughly ;-"my lady there, with vessel, while the former received her chickens, and her conserves, from his companion the familiar ap- and her pasties; and Mr. Mollypellative of Jack. They were flower Captain here, with his botwalking the deck, and their whistles of port and claret, and cups of pered speech only reached me as chocolate and Mocha coffee. Paythey from time to time approached ing, too, forsooth! with such princemy cabin, and was again lost as ly airs for everything, as if we held they receded. I thought, however, not his money in our own hands althat Girod seemed, by stopping oc- ready, Hunted as we then were, casionally, as if in the vehemence 'twas no bad way of blinding goof speech, to draw them, as much vernments, by passing for traders, as possible, towards my cabin. I and getting monied passengers on then listened with an intentness board; but it behoves us to think which made me almost fear to what's to be done now."—" My breathe. "But again I say, Jack," opinion is," said Jack, " that as we said the voice of the real captain, have already put such violence on "what are we to do with these fine our habits, we keep up the farce passengers of ours? I am sick of another day or two until we get inthis stage-play work; and the men to clear seas again. That vessel, are tired, by this time, of being kept yonder, still keeps on the horizon, down in the hold. We shall have and she has good glasses on board." them mutiny if we stifle them much longer below. Look how that sail is sinking on the horizon. She can never come up with us now. There

"And the men?": asked the captain. "I had rather, without more debate, go into this hen-pen here, and down into the cabin be

The captain muttered an infernal oath, and called aloud to his sailors, "Seamen-ahoy-ahoy! Make all the sail ye can. Veer out the mainsheet-top-sails unreefed-royals and sky-sails up" [&c. &c.]. "Stretch every stitch of canvass. Keep her to the wind-keep her to the wind!" I was surprised to find that our course was suddenly changed, as the vessel, which had previously driven before the breeze, was now evidently sailing with a side-wind.

The noise of rattling cables, the trampling of sailors' feet on deck, and the increased blustering of the wind in the crowded sails, now overcame every other sound. The Demon Ship was, of course, made for fast sailing, and she now drove onward at a rate that was almost incredible. She literally flew like a falcon over the waves. Once more I turned to the horizon. God of mercy! the frigate again began to sink upon the waters.

low, and in a quiet way do for our dim, grey speck on the horizon. passengers, than stand the chance of a mutiny among the crew." Here my very blood curdled in my veins. "Dat is goot, and like mine brave capitain," said the Frenchman; "and yet Monsieur Jean say well mosh danger kill at present; but why not have de crew above deck vidout making no attention to de voyagers. Dey take not no notice. Miladi tink but of moon, and stars, and book; and for de sleeping Lyon dere, it were almost pity to cut his troat in any case. He ver coot faillow; like we chosen speerit. Sacre-bleu ! I knew him a boy."-[I had never seen the fellow until I was on the wrong side of my thirtieth birth-day.]—" Alvays for de mischief,-stealing apples, beating his schoolfellows, and oder little speerited tricks. At last he was expell de school. I say not dis praise from no love to him; for he beat me one, two time, when I secretaire to his uncle; and den run off vid my soodheart-so I ver well pleased make him bad turn." "Well, then, suppose the men come on deck, half at a time," said the captain; "and we'll keep the prisoners-Heaven help us the passengers-till the sea be clear, may be till sunset."-"Look, look!" said Jack, "the frigate gains on us; I partly see her hull, and the wind slackens." I now put my own glass, which was a remarkably good one, through my little window, and could distinctly see the sails and rigging and part of the hull of our late convoy. I could perceive that many of her crew were aloft; but the motion of our own vessel was so great that the frigate was sometimes on and sometimes off the glass; and I was therefore unable to discover whether she were hoisting or taking in sail. It was a comfortable sight, however, to see a friendly power apparently so near; and there was a feeling of hopeless desolation when, on removing the glass, the yessel, whose men I could almost have counted before, shrank to a

And now shall I waste words in telling what were my feelings during the hour of horror I have described? I felt as one who had dreamed himself in security, and awoke in the infernal regions. I felt that in a few hours I might not only be butchered in cold blood myself, but might see Margaret-that was the thought that unmanned me. I tried to think if any remedy yet remained, if aught lay in our power to avert our coming fate. Nothing offered itself. I felt that we were entirely in the power of the Demon buccaneers. I saw that all that Girod could do was to gain a few hours' delay. Oh! when we stand suddenly, but assuredly, on the verge of disembodied existence, who can paint that strange revulsion of feeling which takes place in the human bosom ! I had never been one who held it a duty to conceal from any human being that approaching crisis of his destiny which will usher him before the tribunal of his Maker; and my earnest desire now

1

was to inform Margaret as quickly less, and respiration seemed almost lost in terror and overpowering astonishment. She soon, however, gained comparative self-possession. "I must be alone for a few moments," she said. "Perhaps you will join me below in a brief hour." She enveloped her face in her shawl to hide its agitation from the crew, and hastily descended to her cabin. When I joined her at the time she had appointed, a heavenly calm had stolen over her countenance. She held out one hand to me, and pointing upwards with the other, said, "I have not implored in vain. Come and sit by me, my friend; our moments seem numbered on earth, but, oh! what an interminable existence stretches beyond it. In such a moment as this, how do we feel the necessity of some better stay than aught our own unprofitable lives can yield." Margaret's Bible lay before her. It was open at the history of His sufferings on whom her soul relied. She summoned her maidens, and we all read and prayed together. Her attendants were two sisters, of less exalted mind than their mistress, but whose piety, trembling and lowly, was equally genuine. They sate locked in one another's arms, pale and weeping.

as possible of her coming fate. But after Girod's parting injunction, I feared to precipitate the last fatal measures by any step that might seem taken with reference to them. I therefore lay still until morning was further advanced. I then arose and left my cabin. It was yet scarcely broad day, but many a face I had not before seen met my eye,—many a countenance, whose untameable expression of ferocity had doubtless been deemed, even by the ruffian commander himself, good reason for hitherto keeping them from observation. All on the quarter-deck was quiet. The skylight of the cabin was closed, and it seemed that the countess and her female attendants were still enjoying a calm and secure repose. I longed to descend and arouse them from a sleep which was so soon to be followed by a deeper slumber; but the step would have been hazardous, and I therefore walked up and down the quarter-deck, sometimes anxiously watching for the removal of the sky-light, sometimes straining my vision on the horizon, and sometimes casting a furtive glance towards the evidently increasing crew on deck, whilst ever and anon my soul rose on prayer to its God, and spread its fearful cause before him.

I had now an opportunity of discovering the real nature of my sentiments towards Margaret. They stood the test which overthrows many a summer-day attachment. I felt that, standing as my soul now was on the verge of its everlasting fate, it lost not one of its feelings of tenderness. They had assumed, indeed, a more sacred character, but they were not diminished. The sun arose, and the countess appeared on deck. I drew her to the stern of the vessel, so that her back was to the crew, and there divulged the fearful secret which so awfully concerned her. At first the woman only appeared in Margaret; her cheek was pale, her lips blood

It was a difficult day to pass, urged by prudence, and the slender remain of hope, to appear with our wonted bearing before the crew. We felt, too, that there was a something suspicious in our remaining so long together, but we found it almost impossible to loose our grasp on each other's hands and separate. Too plain indications that our sentence was at length gone forth soon began to show themselves. Our scanty breakfast had been served early in the morning, with a savage carelessness of manner that ominously contrasted with the overdone attentions we had before received; and the non-appearance of any subsequent meal, though day waned apace, fearfully proved to us that the Demon captain now held