he black woman handed you to
me when you were a little chap scarcely higher than my knee--I could
swear to it in any court of justice, if it were necessary--and, as I
think I have told you, I have always carried about me the very coral you
had on at the time; and now I would advise you to lose no time in making
inquiries about the matter among your friends."

So wretched did I feel, that I was very little disposed to do this, and
had I not promised to rejoin Monsieur de Villereine, I think that I
should have remained on board, to get ready for sailing as fast as
possible. I however told Dick that I would do as he recommended.

I found Monsieur de Villereine waiting on the quay for me. As soon as
we had got clear of the town, I began to speak to him on the subject.
As I went on, I was surprised at the extraordinary agitation he
exhibited.

"Do I understand from you, my dear sir, that you yourself were carried
away from this island when about four years of age?" he asked, pulling
up his horse, as if he felt unable to guide the animal, and gazing at me
earnestly.

"One of my mates, who has acted the part of a father to me, has assured
me so," I answered, "though I myself have a very indistinct recollection
even of events which occurred much after that."

"The ways of heaven are indeed mysterious," exclaimed Monsieur de
Villereine. "At the time you mention, my second son, two years younger
than Henri, while in charge of a black nurse, was lost to us. The poor
woman was wounded by a chance shot during an attack from an English
squadron, and she died shortly afterwards without being able to give any
account of what had become of the child, though we had hopes that he had
been carried on board one of the men-of-war. As, however, two of them
were afterwards lost, we abandoned all expectation of ever again seeing
our son. I must not raise your hopes too high, nor my own, and yet when
I look at your features, and think of what my son might have been, I
cannot but believe that you are indeed my lost boy. His name, too, was
Charles, which may be a remarkable coincidence. You tell me that that
name was given you on board the ship."

As may be supposed, my heart beat violently as Monsieur de Villereine
said this; yet I could not help trusting that he was indeed my father.

That he might himself make inquiries of Dick, I offered to send on board
at once for my mate. We accordingly drove back into the town. Dick
soon