nt on board ship. Who
should the captain of the ship be but Gaussen, who received a smart
bribe from Sir Maurice Beevor to kill the lad. Accordingly, Gaussen tied
him to a plank, and pitched him overboard.

. . . . . .

About thirteen years after these circumstances, Violet, an orphan niece
of Lady Arundel's second husband, came to pass a few weeks with her
ladyship. She had just come from a sea-voyage, and had been saved from a
wicked Algerine by an English sea captain. This sea captain was no other
than Norman, who had been picked up off his plank, and fell in love
with, and was loved by, Miss Violet.

A short time after Violet's arrival at her aunt's the captain came to
pay her a visit, his ship anchoring off the coast, near Lady Arundel's
residence. By a singular coincidence, that rogue Gaussen's ship anchored
in the harbor too. Gaussen at once knew his man, for he had "tracked"
him, (after drowning him,) and he informed Sir Maurice Beevor that young
Norman was alive.

Sir Maurice Beevor informed her ladyship. How should she get rid of him?
In this wise. He was in love with Violet, let him marry her and be off;
for Lord Ashdale was in love with his cousin too; and, of course, could
not marry a young woman in her station of life. "You have a chaplain on
board," says her ladyship to Captain Norman; "let him attend to-night
in the ruined chapel, marry Violet, and away with you to sea." By this
means she hoped to be quit of him forever.

But unfortunately the conversation had been overheard by Beevor, and
reported to Ashdale. Ashdale determined to be at the chapel and carry
off Violet; as for Beevor, he sent Gaussen to the chapel to kill both
Ashdale and Norman; thus there would only be Lady Arundel between him
and the title.

Norman, in the meanwhile, who had been walking near the chapel, had just
seen his worthy old friend, the priest, most barbarously murdered there.
Sir Maurice Beevor had set Gaussen upon him; his reverence was coming
with the papers concerning Norman's birth, which Beevor wanted in order
to extort money from the countess. Gaussen was, however, obliged to run
before he got the papers; and the clergyman had time, before he died,
to tell Norman the story, and give him the documents, with which Norman
sped off to the castle to have an interview with his mother.

He lays his white cloak and hat on the table, and begs to be left alone
with her ladyship. Lord Ashdale, who