VISIT MY GRANDMOTHER'S GRAVE. 117

from a stranger, and that lightened the burden; and then, though Miss Rundle was an odd creature, I could not help feeling pleased at seeing her again, and hearing from her about my aunt. I had little fear about her marriage, and I had every expectation of finding the sailor she had married, some fine old fellow well worthy of her, even though he had been all his life before the mast. While I was sitting down beside my grandmother's grave, and thinking of the years that were past, the days of my childhood, and the many strange things which had since occurred to me, every now and then reading over the words on the tombstone: "Hope!-if on me your hope is placed,” and trying to understand their full meaning, and very full I found it, I happened to look up, and then I saw at a little distance a young woman who seemed to have been passing along a path across the churchyard, regarding me attentively. She was dressed in black, which made her look very fair and pale, and certainly I had never seen anybody in all my life who came up in appearance to what I should fancy an angel in heaven would look like. This is what I thought at the moment. When she saw that she was observed, she drew her shawl instinctively closer around her, and moved on.

CHAPTER VI.

First introduction to Miss Troall-Happy evening-Return on board-An expedition planned-Attack on privateers-The boat sinks under me-Meet an old friend-Follow his advice-Join an American vessel-Chased again-The action between the British and French ships-Land our passengers-Loss of our vessel-Get on shore at Guernsey-La Motte and his familySail for Portsmouth.

AND SO at length the dream in which I had so long indulged was realized. Once more I trod my native shores. Once more I had visited the home of my childhood. What a blank I had found. My lot has been that of thousands of seamen-of thousands of poor wanderers over the face of the globe, of every rank and in every clime. It is the tale which many and many a shipmate has told me in our midnight watch :—“ I got back to the place where I was born. I thought to find it a home, but most of those I left were dead! the rest removed. All were gone. The spot which once I knew so well, knew me no more; so I fell in with an old messmate. We had a jovial spree on shore, and then when all our cash was gone we went to sea again.” Such was not my lot, though. Had I been inclined for a spree, which I was not, I had not time to indulge in it. I took a walk through some of the beautiful green lanes about Plymouth, and filled my hat full of

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wild-flowers, and then came back to the old lady's house to take my tea, as I had promised. I opened the door without ceremony, for I forgot entirely that it was not my own home, and walked into the parlour, expecting to see the old lady. Instead of her, what was my surprise to see seated at the tea-table the very young woman who had been watching me in the churchyard. I was regularly taken aback, and stammered out-

"Beg pardon, Miss, I didn't know that there was anybody here but the old lady who asked me to tea."

"You need not offer any excuse; my aunt told me you were coming," she answered, in just such a voice as I should have expected to hear when looking at her.

In a very few minutes she made me quite at home, and her aunt came in, and we soon were talking away just as if we were old friends. I will not say that I forgot my grandmother and aunt, but I should be wrong if I did not confess that my sorrow was very much soothed, and what is more, that in some respects I felt happier than I had done for a very long time. Tea was made, and I began to talk to them about my adventures and my shipwrecks.

66

"The most dreadful," said I, was the first, when I and all my companions nearly lost our lives aboard the Kite."

"The Kite!" exclaimed the young lady, "the Kite! What do you know about her? Oh, in mercy tell me, young man !"

I saw she was very much agitated, but as I could not tell what part of the narrative to pass over or to touch on slightly, I told her all about the vessel from

the time we left Plymouth till we got aboard the French brig; especially I could not help speaking of Seton and his bravery, and how he was wounded, and how he entreated me to bear his dying messages to his family, and to the girl to whom he was to be married. She seemed almost breathless as I proceeded with my story, but every now and then she would say, "Go on -in mercy go on." So I continued with my story to the end; "and," said I, "the first time I have freedom on shore, I will, please heaven, go and fulfil my promise to poor Seton. I remember the young lady's name-Margaret Troall."

"You have fulfilled it already," said the young lady, with a faltering voice, and bursting into tears; "I am Margaret Troall. And oh, believe me I am most grateful to you."

I was astonished. I found that the rest of her family in England were dead, and that she and her aunt had come to live at Plymouth just as my aunt and her husband had left the place, and they had taken my grandmother's house, which was then vacant. At first, after all this, the young lady was very sad, but by degrees she recovered her spirits, and we talked on very pleasantly till Miss Rundle came in.

She wasn't half as stiff as at first, when she saw how well I was received by Mrs. Sandon (that was the name of the old lady) and her niece, and she promised to write to my aunt to tell her that I was alive and well, and that she might expect to see me some day.

"When you see her, as I hope you will soon," said she, "remember to tell her that I am looking well, and that you knew me at once."

"That I will, Miss Rundle," said I; "I'll tell her

you

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that look as young and handsome as you ever did, and for that matter younger to my eyes, and that's the truth."

So it was, for a boy always thinks an oldish woman older than she really is. Miss Rundle drew herself up, and looked quite pleased, and smiled and smirked, and I saw that my joking had gained me a place in her good graces which I never enjoyed in my boyish days. Well, I was very sorry when the time came for me to get up and return on board the frigate. I put my chair back against the wall, and shook hands with all the ladies round, and they charged me to come and see them without fail when I returned to Plymouth. Somehow or other I found myself shaking hands twice with Miss Troall, and she again thanked me for bringing her the message from him who was gone; and I heard Miss Rundle remark as I went out, that I was a very well-mannered young man, though I was a common sailor.

I was rather later than I intended. I hurried down to the harbour, jumped into a wherry, and promised the waterman half-a-guinea if I got on board before dark.

"Why, lad, there's no great hurry I should think," said he; "the frigate wont sail without you."

"No; but a shipmate pledged his word for me that I would be back, and I must not let him break it, you know."

"Well, we wasn't so particular in my time," said the old man. "But as your gold is as good as that of any other man, I'll do my best to put you on board."

The wind was against us, so his mate and I took the oars while he steered, and by dint of hard pulling we