ung woman, and I soon
persuaded her who I was. She asked me down into the kitchen; and after
we had had a talk, and she had told me all about those I cared for, she
said she would go and tell Captain Leslie and his lady, who had often
spoken to her about me, for they had found out that she was my sister.
I was sent for into the drawing-room, when the captain welcomed me
kindly, and told his wife and the young ladies--for there were two of
them, besides a number of small children, boys and girls--how I had
twice saved his life.

"I hope that you will stop as long as you like, and I will get you a
lodging close at hand," he said in his pleasant way. "I have often
wished that I could have shown my gratitude more than I have been able
to do."

I told him not to trouble himself about that, as it was a pleasure to me
to think that I had been of service; and as I had more money than I knew
what to do with, and never wished to be anything but what I was, I
didn't see how he could have done more than he had done.

"I like your independent spirit, Ben," he said, "but perhaps a time may
come, when I may be able to serve you as I should wish."

After a good talk of old times, I went back into the kitchen. I had
been sitting there for some time, when a young woman came in with the
sweetest face I ever set eyes on. I got up and made a sort of bow, with
a scrape of my foot and a pull at a lovelock I wore in those days, for
it was not for me, I felt, to sit in the presence of one like her; when
Jane, laughing, said--

"Why, Ben, don't you know Susan Willis?"

She was one of a lot of little girls I remember living next door to us,
and I used to take her on my knee and sing to her, and tell her about
Lord Hawke and the _Royal George_, when I was at home for the first time
after going to sea. Susan smiled, and put out her hand, and that moment
I felt I was not my own master; her voice was as sweet as her smile, and
had the true ring of an honest heart in it.

"She is the young ladies' own maid," said Jane; "and they are as fond of
her as everyone is who knows her."

"I am sure of it," says I; "and I am thankful that I am among them."

Susan looked down and blushed, and so I believe I did, though she could
not see my blush through the brown skin of my face as well as I could
see the rose on her lily cheeks.

Well, the long and the short of it is that day after day I went up to
the house, and at last--I couldn't help it--I