he chaplain as he tossed one of
the bottles of wine over the rail. "How can a parent permit his son to
drink wine, when he knows that more men are killed by intemperance than
by war and pestilence? I am amazed!"

"So am I, Mr. Agneau."

"The boy is hardly to blame for his conduct, since he contracted this
vicious habit under the eye of his father."

"The discipline of the ship must be preserved."

"Certainly, Mr. Lowington."

"And the boy is just as much to blame for his act of disobedience as
though it had been done in his sober senses."

"But you can afford to pardon him, under the circumstances."

"I will do that when he is willing to make a proper acknowledgment of
his offence in the presence of the ship's company, before whom the act
was committed."

"He is quite ready to do so now."

"If he will say as much as that to me, he shall be released at once."

"He will, sir."

"It is very strange to me that I noticed nothing peculiar in the boy's
speech or manner at the time," added the principal. "He certainly did
not seem to be intoxicated."

"Probably he had taken just enough to inflame his evil passions, without
affecting his manner," suggested the chaplain.

"I did not even discover the odor of wine upon him."

"Perhaps you did not go near enough to him. If you please, Mr.
Lowington, we will go down and see him; and you can judge for yourself
whether or not it is prudent to release him."

"I will."

"Thank you, sir. I feel a deep interest in the young man, and I hope he
may yet be saved."

When Mr. Agneau left the brig, after his second visit, Wilton, who was
very anxious to know what Shuffles meant by "making a chain," came out
of his mess room. He had been watching the chaplain, and wondering what
the prisoner could have to say to him.

"What's up, Shuffles?" asked Wilton, when Mr. Agneau had left the
steerage.

"I've been smoothing him down," laughed Shuffles, with an audible
chuckle. "I have concluded not to stay in here any longer."

"What do you mean?"

"I'm coming out pretty soon, though it has cost me a bottle and a half
of old sherry to get out," laughed Shuffles.

"I don't know what you mean."

"I told the parson that I was drunk when I disobeyed orders, and that I
was very sorry for it, and wouldn't get drunk any more."

"Did you tell him that?"

"I did; I assured him I was the worst fellow in the whole world, and
ought to be hung, drawn, and quartered for my wickedness;