y to dinner, and as he always wished to pay
attention to naval officers, he immediately despatched a letter by a
fast rowing-boat, requesting the company of the commander and officers
of the sloop at the intended banquet. Mr Ferris received a letter in
reply, signed "Jean Dupin, commander of the _Orestes_, private ship of
war," observing that Mr Ferris had been misinformed as to the character
of the vessel he had the honour to command, she not being a king's ship,
but belonging to Jersey, and the property of a firm with which he was
probably well acquainted, Messrs. Saint Croix and Cie; and he was
unwilling to sail under false colours--but that if Mr Ferris still
desired his company, he and his officers would have infinite pleasure in
availing themselves of his hospitable invitation. Mr Ferris
immediately sent back the boat, assuring Captain Dupin that it would
afford him the greatest possible satisfaction to receive him, and any of
his lieutenants and junior officers who might be able to accompany him.

"Ellen will be disappointed when she finds that the ship is not a
man-of-war," he said to himself. "She takes much interest in the navy;
she saw a good specimen of the naval officer in that gentlemanly and
pleasing young lieutenant, Norman Foley, who was occasionally at our
house in Dublin when his ship lay off Kingstown, and she has
consequently an idea that all naval officers are like him. However,
many of the Jersey privateers are commanded and officered by gentlemen
of good family in the island, and I doubt not that Captain Dupin will
prove an agreeable addition to our party. I wish that Captain Tracy
were well enough to be present; he and Captain Dupin might find that
they were old acquaintances, and would, at all events, have many
subjects in common to talk about."

We must now return to Norah and Ellen. They hastened their steps, for
the sun had set, and darkness was stealing over the landscape, and
unless they hurried on they would scarcely have light sufficient to see
their way through the narrow and dimly illuminated street, and might
perhaps meet with drunken men who would cause them annoyance.

"I am pretty well known here, so that it is not likely any one will
insult us; but it would be unpleasant to encounter strangers," said
Ellen. "I am very sorry, Norah, for it was my fault remaining so long
listening to Mrs Massey's dreadful accounts of the O'Harrall family. I
was much interested, and I have