so I was. But I must explain to you, if I can, some of the causes-apparently very trivial ones-that made me so. In the first place, I must never stir beyond his grounds-then I must not go beyond the gardens around the house without being accompanied by him or my tutor-then I must hold no intercourse with any persons that had not first been seen and approved by him—then three times a day I must attend prayers, long and dull ones, repeated word for word, without variation, the year round. I feel that such obligations must seem to you very trifling sources of disquietude-yet they ultimately caused me to throw away fortune and favour. My character as a youth was singularly independent, and I could not brook the idea which was constantly presented before me, of what I owed my benefactor. I could not endure that my inclinations, which were of a wandering, open, inquisitive, gay nature, should be so continually checked as they were by my tutor's ill-judged representations-that my benefactor would be angry-that he would cut off my expectations. And let him, I at

last broke out, I will no more be immured as I have been. This place is like a prison to me, and I have found companions beyond it that suit my taste well. If I was destitute when he took me, I will go from him in the same condition. I will not take a single dollar with me, nor any more clothes than these I wear. I will seek my fortune on the sea, I care not to whatever part of the world chance may direct me; and let my way be rough or smooth, I shall not heed, so I am at liberty, and master of my own actions.

"The tutor repeated my words with considerable exaggeration to my foster-father, who called me before

him, put the deed which had been executed in my favour into my hands, and asked me in a concise, peremptory way, if I would comply with the conditions it contained, if not, the world was before me, I might go whither I chose, but from his house, and his presence, I must be for ever banished. My proud spirit overmastered prudence, gratitude, and every other feeling; I threw the deed from me, and refused to be bound by any rules such as it prescribed whatever was the consequence. The document was then burned before my face, and I was discarded. But just as I was leaving the house, I saw the good, but eccentric man, who had so long protected me, standing in the way I had to go, At the sight of waiting to speak to me a parting word. of shame tears upon his face, I believe I felt some pangs and regret, but if so I am confident neither my words nor manner betrayed them. He held out to me a pocket-book, which I have no doubt contained bank notes to a large amount, and begged me to take it as a final gift. I proudly declined, thanked him in the strongest terms for all his unexampled liberality to me, and hoped he would find some worthier being on whom to shower his remaining bounties. Thus we parted, and I became a common sailor in a vessel of superior sailing powers, on the Canadian waters.

"Now, my children, you will easily guess that I was not made happier by this change. For a little while I pleased myself with my apparent freedom from restraint, and set myself with all my heart and mind to learn the art of ship-management. But too soon the realities of my condition forced themselves upon my notice. I found I was placed among companions who excited in

me disgust and dislike, and that I was subordinate to men, whose arrogance, tyranny, sensuality, and want of mental refinement, also made me hate and despise them. For some time I kept myself aloof from all, and hid the passions which burned within me, employing myself unweariedly with my new profession, and making myself master of both its theory and practice. At length, my success, and some accidental praises which it drew forth from the master of the vessel, brought upon me the envy of the crew, who already jeered me for any lofty humours as they termed them, and detested me because I would not join them in their vulgar carousals. I left this ship, and joined myself to another of still larger construction, and of a different craft, which sailed further out, and in waters more difficult of navigation. My object was to perfect myself as much as possible in seamanship in order that I might ultimately raise myself to the command of a vessel. And after beating about a good while, and suffering much that I should be glad to forget, I did get advanced until I was second in command, and, I believe, I may boldly say first in skill, on board the Antelope, owned by Captain Barry. Drink again my son.'

The Pirate averted his face for a minute, and then drank deep of the rich wine; Clinton took a turn across the cabin; Jane felt uneasy, at once being conscious that both were in possession of some dreadful secret connected with the Antelope of which they wished to spare her the knowledge. The suspicion entered her mind that her father had really destroyed the good old captain, and she turned exceedingly pale; but the dreadful idea was instantly overcome; nevertheless, it was with fearful

expectation that she heard her father resume his narrative.

"The next event of importance which I must relate to you," resumed the Pirate," is my first meeting with your mother. It happened in this way:-Captain Barry had a particular acquaintance living near the sea-coast in England, and in one of my earliest voyages to the mother country, with the Captain, I was invited with him to spend a day at this gentleman's house. I went, and there became acquainted with your mother, who was on a visit at the house, being at the time in delicate health, and on terms of intimate friendship with the gentleman's eldest daughter.

"I wish that I could describe to you the only woman I ever loved as I remember her at that time. That picture of her which is before you was taken several years afterwards, when hardship and sorrow had taken the gloss from her beauty. I say beauty, though none ever called her in the strict sense a beautiful woman: but she had a fine delicacy of complexion—a sweetness of expression about the mouth—and a bashful, but deep tenderness in the eyes-which, if it was not beauty, I know not what other name to give it. You may see by the likeness that hers was not a common face. It shows her fair, but she was much fairer than the painter could delineate, for hers was a fairness of the soul which shone through her countenance. Her hair was extremely light and soft, as it appears in the portrait; but that shade of melancholy diffused over her forehead and mouth was not there when first I knew her.

"You have read the wooing of Shakspeare's Othello, Nicholas; well, mine in some respects resembled it. I

was full of stories of American life and sea adventures; the young lady loved to listen to them, and the more I narrated the more she seemed interested; and the more she listened the more I had to narrate, until we were both so pleased with each other's society that it became necessary to our happiness. Our ship lay-to off that coast a fortnight, during which I contrived to see the charming girl who had bewitched me nearly every day. The Antelope then steered up the Thames to London, and on returning anchored at the same coast, where I again renewed my acquaintance with your mother, and asked her to become a sailor's wife.

"Poor Fanny! then her sorrows began. She was in character just what her daughter is now-serious, affectionate, mild, and of a most filial temper. Her parents objected to me on grounds that I have since seen to be reasonable enough, but which I then thought frivolous and arbitrary. She had been brought up in a strictly religious way I had no concern about or regard for religion: she was of quiet, domestic habits of life—I had no other home but a ship, and was constantly roving over the wide world of waters. But these objections, and others like them, my passion would not listen to. I daily pressed for an union, and at last, when the time of my departure from England was fixed, my earnestness overcame Fanny's scruples, and we were privately married in a village church near the house in which we first met. Thus love conquered, and so I thought it ought to do; but at that time I did not comprehend the tender and conscientious spirit I had won. She drooped under self blame, for the violation of duty to her parents. I have given them sorrow,' was her cry, who never gave