rise on his sight
like a vision.

While most engaged in his own humours, two powerful seamen had, unheeded,
entered the cabin; and, after silently depositing a human figure in a
seat, they withdrew without speaking. It was before this personage that
the Rover now found himself. The gaze was mutual, long, and uninterrupted
by a syllable from either party. Surprise and indecision held the Rover
mute, while wonder and alarm appeared to have literally frozen the
faculties of the other. At length the former, suffering a quaint and
peculiar smile to gleam for a moment across his countenance, said
abruptly,--

"I welcome sir Hector Homespun!"

The eyes of the confounded tailor--for it was no other than that garrulous
acquaintance of the reader who had fallen into the toils of the Rover--the
eyes of the good-man rolled from right to left, embracing, in their
wanderings, the medley of elegance and warlike preparation that they every
where met never failing to return, from each greedy look, to devour the
figure that stood before him.

"I say, Welcome, sir Hector Homespun!" repeated the Rover.

"The Lord will be lenient to the sins of a miserable father of seven small
children!" ejaculated the tailor. "It is but little, valiant Pirate, that
can be gotten from a hard-working, upright tradesman, who sits from the
rising to the setting sun, bent over his labour."

"These are debasing terms for chivalry, sir Hector," interrupted the
Rover, laying his hand on the little riding whip, which had been thrown
carelessly on the cabin table, and, tapping the shoulder of the tailor
with the same, as though he were a sorcerer, and would disenchant the
other with the touch: "Cheer up, honest and loyal subject: Fortune has at
length ceased to frown: it is but a few hours since you complained that no
custom came to your shop from this vessel, and now are you in a fair way
to do the business of the whole ship."

"Ah! honourable and magnanimous Rover," rejoined Homespun, whose fluency
returned with his senses, "I am an impoverished and undone man. My life
has been one of weary and probationary hardships. Five bloody and cruel
wars"----

"Enough. I have said that Fortune was just beginning to smile. Clothes are
as necessary to gentlemen of our profession as to the parish priest. You
shall not baste a seam without your reward. Behold!" he added, touching
the spring of a secret drawer, which flew open, and discovered a confused
pile of gold,