"She said, "Are there any ladies aboard?" I said, "Yes, and tip-top fashionable ones." So then she looked at the "Malignant," and he never moved a muscle. So then she said, "We will do ourselves the pleasure-IF WE ARE IN COMPANY; and she smiled ever so knowingly, did that beautiful demon.

'Then I pretended cheerful: "That is all right," said I. "Mind, I shall tell the ladies, and they will be awfully disappointed if you don't come."

“I assure you," says she, "we will come, IF WE ARE IN COMPANY. I give you my hand on it," says she; and she put out her hand. It was lovely, and white; but I looked at it as if 'twas the devil's claw; but I had to take it, or walk the plank; so I did take it; and, oh Lord, would you believe it? she gave mine such a squeeze.'

Lewis.- Gammon !'

Castor. I tell you she gave my flipper the most delicious squeeze you ever-it was so long, and soft, and gentle.'

Curtis. But what was it for?'

Castor. At the time I thought it was to encourage me; for she said, ever so softly, "You are a brave man." But more likely it was to delude me, and put me off my guard. Well, I was for sheering off, after that, and I made a low bow to the "Malignant ; he never got up, but he showed his little bit o' breeding, took the snake-pipe out of his mouth, and brought his head slowly down, an inch a minute, till he looked like pitch-poling over on to the floor and cutting a somersault; and, whilst he was going down and up again, the lady said, "You had better wait a minute;" it was in a very particular way she said it; and she flew to a telegraph, and her white hands went clicking at an awful rate; and I cannot get it out of my head that if those white hands hadn't worked those wires, I should have been cut in pieces at the cabin-door. Not that I cared so very much for that. I HAD MY LITTLE PLAN. ever, she left off clicking, just as that old picture got his figurehead above his bows again; so I made my bow to 'em both, and sheered off; and blest if that elderly officer does not meet me at the door, and march before me to the quarter-deck; and there's another officer hailing my boat; and there were fine scarlet silk side-ropes fixed, and two men standing by them. So I came away in state. But I'm no wiser than I went. Whether it is an Eastern prince, out on pleasure, or a first-class pirate, I don't know. I hope you will order a tip-top breakfast, Captain, for the honour of the ship; lobster curry, for one thing; and sharpen cutlasses, and clean small arms; and borrow all Mr. Greaves's revolvers; he is taking out quite a cargo of 'em: and that reminds

How

me I forgot to tell you what my little plan was that made me so saucy. I borrowed one of Greaves's six-shooters; here it is, and at the first sign of treachery, I wasn't going to waste powder, but just cut back and kill the "Malignant" and the Corsair's bride; for I argued they wouldn't have a successor ready, and ten to one they would have a quarrel who was to take the command; so that would save our hooker at the expense of one hand, and him a bachelor. Nobody minds a bachelor getting snuffed out.'

Upon Mr. Castor revealing his little plan, the other officers insisted on shaking hands with bim. At which he stared, but consented heartily; and, finding himself in such unexpected favour, repeated his advice. Prepare an excellent breakfast for to-morrow, and grind cutlasses, and load the guns with grape, and get all the small arms loaded, especially revolvers; for,' said Castor, 'I think they mean to board us to-night, cut all our throats, ravish the women, and scuttle the craft, when they have rifled her; but, if they don't, I'm sure they will come to breakfast. She gave me her hand on that, and the turbaned Turk nodded his thundering old piratical figure-head.'

The other officers agreed with him that the ship would probably be attacked that night, and all possible preparations were made for her defence. They barred the ports on the main deck, charged the cannon with grape, armed the Lascars with cutlasses, and the white men with muskets as well, and the officers and the boatswain with cutlasses and revolvers.

The sun set, and all was now grim expectation and anxiety. No watch was called, for the whole crew was the watch.

The moon came out, and showed the cutter, like a black snake, lying abominably near.

Hour after hour dragged by in chill suspense. Each bell, as it was struck, rang like a solemn knell.

Midnight came, and passed. Morning approached.

The best time for attacking seemed to have passed.

Fears began to lessen; hopes to glow.

The elastic Castor began to transfer his whole anxiety to the cook and his mate, standing firm to his theory that the Corsair and his bride would come to breakfast, if they did not attack the ship that night. The Captain pooh-poohed this; and, indeed, Castor persuaded nobody but the cook. Him he so flattered about his fish-patties, and lobster-curries, &c., that he believed anything.

Day broke, and the ship's company and officers breathed freely. Some turned in. But still the schooner was closely watched by many eyes and deck-glasses, and keenly suspected.

Soon after eight bells there was a movement on board the schooner; and this was immediately reported by Mr. Castor, then in charge of the ship, to Captain Curtis. He came on deck directly.

You are right, sir,' said he, handling his glass, and they are lowering a boat. He is coming. And-by Jove, they are rigging a whip. There's a lady. Mr. Castor, rig a whip on the mainyard. Bear a hand there, forward. Bosen!-attend the side. Here, sling this chair. Smart, now-they are shoving off.'

Six able oarsmen brought the Corsair and his bride, with racehorse speed, from the schooner to the ship.

But there were smart fellows on board the 'Phœbe' too. There was a shrill wind of the boatswain's pipe-call, the side was promptly manned, the chair lowered into the schooner's boat as she came alongside, and gently hoisted, with the lady in it, and she was landed on the deck of the Phoebe.'

She had a thick veil on.

The commander of the schooner drew up beside her, and Captain Curtis came forward, and the two commanders off hats and bowed.

The captain of the schooner was now gorgeous in a beautiful light-blue uniform, the cloth glossy as velvet, and heavy with silver, as was also his cap.

The Captain led the way to the cabin. His guests followed; the ladies were duly informed, and dropped in one after another. Then the Corsair's bride removed her veil, and revealed a truly beautiful woman, in the prime of youth, with a divine complexion, and eyes almost purple, so deep was their blue.

Captain Curtis seated this dazzling creature to his right, and, to the surprise of the company, her commander immediately seated himself on her other side. The ladies looked at each other, and smiled, as much as to say He is jealous; and no great wonder.' However, they talked to her across the body of her lord, and she to them, and she was a most piquant addition to the table, and full of spirit; she seemed devoted to her companion.

For all that, she had a letter in her pocket, which she intended to confide to one of those ladies she had never seen before in all her life; and she was now quietly examining their faces, and judging their voices, as she conversed with them, merely to make the best selection of a confidante she could.

The breakfast did honour to the ship, and the Corsair praised the lobster curry, and made himself very agreeable all round. Presently one of the ladies said to Mr. Castor, But where is Mr. Greaves?' Castor told her he had been disabled by a shot a

VOL. XXXII. NO, CXXVI,

6

lubberly gunner had dropped on his foot, and was confined to his cabin.

'Oh dear,' said the lady; 'poor Mr. Greaves! How unlucky he is!'

Is it one of your officers?' asked the strange lady quietly. 'No, ma'am. He is a Queen's officer, lieutenant of the "Centaur," going out with us, as passenger.'

Then the lady changed colour, but said nothing, and speedily turned the conversation; but the Corsair looked black as thunder, and became rather silent all of a sudden.

The ladies rose, and invited the fair stranger to go with them. ‘Please excuse her,' said the Corsair, in a civil but commanding

tone.

She seemed indifferent.

Soon after this an officer came in, and said, joyfully, Wind from the Nor-west.'

'Ah!' said the stranger; then we must leave you, sir. Come on deck, dear.'

When they got on deck, the lady said, rather pettishly, Wind? I feel no wind.' Thereupon Mr. Castor pointed out to her a dark blue line, about eight miles off, on the pale blue water. 'Oh!' said she; that is wind, is it?'

'Yes, ma'am, and a good breeze too; it will be here in twenty minutes. Why, your boat is gone. Never mind, we will take you.' By all means,' said she, aloud; then, as she turned from him, she said in a swift whisper, Sit near me in the boat; I've something for you.'

Now this conversation passed at the head of the companionladder, and Greaves heard the lady's voice, though not the words. He started violently, huddled on his clothes, and would have hobbled on deck; but the boat was brought alongside in full view from the port window of his cabin. He heard her grate the ship's side, and opened the window just as the lady was lowered into the boat. The chair was hoisted. The lady, with her veil down as she had come, took her seat on the stern thwart, beside her companion; Castor sitting at the helm.

'Shove off!' was the word.

Then, as they turned the boat's head round, the lady, who had seen Greaves through her veil, and had time to recognise him in spite of his beard, lifted her veil for one moment, and showed him the face of Ellen Ap Reice-that face he had loved so well, and suffered so cruelly for loving it. That face was now pale and eloquent beyond the power of words. There was self-reproach, a prayer for forgiveness, and, stranger still-a prayer to that injured friend