had been away a week. Catherine had removed to her
father's house, and was preparing to sit down to sew, as was her
custom, when her father, returning from the office adjoining, brought
her a letter. 'It is very odd,' he remarked, 'but amidst my business
communications I find this epistle addressed to you. See, it is
marked "sailor's letter." I imagine it must be intended for one of
the servants.'

Catherine made no reply; a presentiment darted into her mind. Usually
a quiet, calm girl, her nature seemed suddenly to have changed. She
snatched the letter from her father's hand, tore it open, looked at
the signature, and fell into his arms in an agony of emotion.
Absorbed by her painful struggles, Dodbury overlooked the cause of
them; and Catherine, with one intense, overwhelming thought burning
within her, placed the letter before him. She tried to speak, but the
agony of joy which she felt choked her. The father read the
signature; it was 'Herbert Hardman!'

The reaction came, and Catherine for a time was calm. She said she
could listen to the contents of the letter; and Dodbury began to
peruse it. Hardman was alive and well; and a new tide of emotion
gushed forth from the panting listener. With the ardent impulse of a
pious heart, she sunk upon her knees, and uttered a fervent
thanksgiving to the universal Protector. It was long ere she could
hear more. There might be something behind--some dreadful
qualification to all the rapture with which her soul was flooded.
This thought was insupportable, and as Dodbury saw that his child
_must_ hear the whole, he read the epistle word for word. It was a
strange narrative.

When Herbert left Plympton Court, he determined to stay a night at
Plymouth. Walking on a place called Britain Side, near the quay, he
was unexpectedly seized by a press-gang. They hurried him on board
the tender, lying off Cat-down; and immediately draughted him to a
small frigate, which was to sail the next morning, as part of a
convoy to some Indian ships. Accordingly, they sailed. The frigate
was commissioned to drop dispatches at Gibraltar, and arriving off
that place she was obliged to lag some miles behind, to fulfil her
orders. After having done so, and made all sail to rejoin the convoy,
she was attacked by a Barbary rover of superior strength, was beaten,
most of the crew captured, and conveyed into port. They were taken to
the market-place, and sold as slaves. Herbert described these
extraordi