ents.' I took her hand, bowed, and turned away to quit the room;
when I was at the door I looked round, and she was sitting with her
face in her hands, and I think she was weeping. I went out into the
street, and waited for Captain Levee, and there's an end of my story."

"Well, now I'll give you my portion, Elrington:--As soon as Philip
went out of the room, Mr. Trevannion said, 'That's a most impudent
boy, and I am glad that he is gone. You are of course aware that his
brother has left me, and the cause of our disagreement.'

"'Yes, Sir,' replied I, drily, 'I have heard the whole particulars.'

"'Did you ever hear of such ridiculous scruples?' said he.

"'Yes, Sir, I heard them before, and so did you, when he gave up the
command of the privateer, and I respected them, because I knew that
Mr. Elrington was sincere. Indeed, his observations on that head are
undeniably true, and have had great weight with me; so much so, that I
intend to enter into the king's service as soon as I possibly can.'

"I wish you had seen the look of Mr. Trevannion when I said this--he
was stupified. That I, Captain Levee, who had commanded his vessels so
long--I, the very _beau ideal_ of a privateer's-man, a reckless,
extravagant dare-devil, should also presume to have scruples, was too
much for him. 'Et tu, Brute,' he might have exclaimed, but he did not;
but he stared at me without speaking for some time; at last he said,
'Is the golden age arrived, or is this a conspiracy?'

"'Neither one nor the other, Sir,' I replied; 'I follow privateering,
because I can do no better; but as soon as I can do better, I shall
leave it off.'

"'Perhaps,' said Mr. Trevannion, 'you would wish to resign the command
at once. If so, I beg you will not make any ceremony.'

"'I have not wished to put you to any inconvenience, Mr. Trevannion,'
replied I, 'but as you kindly beg me to use no ceremony, I will take
advantage of your offer, and resign the command of the Arrow this
day.'"

"Surely, Levee, you have not done so?"

"Yes, I have," replied Captain Levee, "and I have done so, in the
first place, out of friendship to you, and, in the second, because I
wish to be employed in the king's service, and my only chance of
obtaining that wish is doing what I have done."

"How will that effect your purpose?"

"Because the men have sailed so long with me, that they will not sail
under any other person, if I tell them not. Mr. Trevannion will find
himself i