tantly to be on deck, but
whenever I went below, I visited poor Henri, who was suffering much. I
did all I could to relieve him, and directed my steward, who was a
trustworthy man, to remain by his side during my absence.

The next day the weather moderated, and I was thankful to find the rest
of the party greatly recovered. They all expressed their gratitude to
me for the attention I paid to their relative.

"You forget," I answered, "that he is an old schoolfellow, and that I
have the greatest satisfaction possible in being of service to him."

"Ah, you must be the friend then of whom he has often spoken to us, who
was so kind to him at school," observed Emilie. "We have so longed to
see you, to return the kindness you showed him when he was a boy, and we
hope to do so, as he said you promised to pay us a visit should you ever
come to the West Indies."

I replied that I should be very glad to avail myself of the invitation
he had given me, could I manage to do go, but that I feared my duty
would not allow me to leave the ship on that voyage.

Henri appeared to get much better during the day. While I sat by him,
he repeated the invitation his sister had given me, and entreated me to
visit them, saying, his father and mother, he was sure, would be most
anxious to see me.

None of the rest of the party suffered much from the exposure and alarm
to which they had been subjected.

Within a week we were safely at anchor in Carlisle Bay, on the shore of
which, Bridgetown, the capital of the beautiful island of Barbadoes, is
situated.

CHAPTER TWENTY THREE.

A HURRICANE.

As soon as the anchor was dropped and the sails furled, I conveyed my
passengers on shore, that I might see them comfortably lodged as soon as
possible. I had offered to supply them with funds, but Monsieur de
Villereine, thanking me cordially, assured me that he was well known to
several merchants in Bridgetown, and that he should have no difficulty
in obtaining money.

"I should be very thankful, however, if you could convey us to Saint
Lucia, as we should prefer sailing in your ship to any other," he
observed; "and as I am well known to your consignees, I may, perhaps,
arrange the matter with them." I of course replied that I should be
truly glad if this could be done, though I could not venture on my own
responsibility to go there.

"Oh, but my uncle will easily manage it," observed Emilie, "so we will
consider it settled. I sho