; the
breaking up, with noise louder than ever thunder was heard by man, of
the marble pavements; the ruins crushed together in one awful confusion
above me;--nature could do no more, and my dream slept.

The sun was at its meridian height when I awoke the next day in health,
with every sensation renewed, and that, too, in the so sweet a feeling
that makes the mere act of living delightful. I found nothing
remarkable, but that I had been subjected to a profuse perspiration.

Miss Bellarosa met me at breakfast all triumph, and I was all gratitude.
I was very hungry, and as playful as a schoolboy who had just procured
a holiday.

"Eh! Massa Ralph, suppose no marry me to-day--what for you say no yes
to dat?"

"Because, dear Bella, you wouldn't have me."

"Try--you ask me," said she, looking at me with a fondness not quite so
maternal as I could wish.

"Bella, dearest, will you marry me?"

"For true?"

"For true."

"Tanky, Massa Rattlin, dear, tanky; you make me very happy; but, for
true, no. Were you older more fifteen year, or me more fifteen year
younger, perhaps--but tank ye much for de comblement. Now go, and tell
buckra doctor."

So, as I could not reward my kind physician with my hand, which,
by-the-by, I should not have offered had I not been certain of refusal,
I was obliged to force upon her as splendid a trinket as I could
purchase, for a keepsake, and gave my sable nurses a handful of bits
each. Bits of what? say the uninitiated.

I don't know whether I have described this fever case very
nosologically, but, very truly I know I have.

CHAPTER FIFTY FOUR.

A NEW CHARACTER INTRODUCED, WHO CLAIMETH OLD ACQUAINTANCESHIP--NOT VERY
HONEST BY HIS OWN ACCOUNT, WHICH GIVETH HIM MORE THE APPEARANCE OF
HONESTY THAN HE DESERVETH--HE PROVETH TO BE A STEWARD NOT INCLINED TO
HIDE HIS TALENT IN A NAPKIN.

During all the time that these West Indian events had been occurring,
that is, nearly three years, I had no other communication with England
than regularly and repeatedly sending there various pieces of paper thus
headed, "This, my first of exchange, my second and third not paid;" or
for variety's sake, "This, my second of exchange, my first and third,"
etcetera; or, to be more various still, "This, my third, my first and
second,"--all of which received more attention than their strange
phraseology seemed to entitle them to.

But I must now introduce a new character; one that attended me for
year