manner. Senor Garcia, your uncle by marriage,
became concerned, in a private way, like many other Cubanos merchants,
in fitting out piratical craft, and one of his confidential captains
was this same Alvarez whom I so summarily ejected from the
billiard-room. Garcia died in 1830, leaving a large property to his
children, and consigning the guardianship of the younger, a girl, to
his friend Don Carlos Alvarez. The will provided that in case she
should marry any person, but an American, without her guardian's
consent, her fortune should revert to her guardian; and in the choice
of an American husband her brother's wishes were not to be
contravened. The reservation in favor of Americans was made at the
entreaty of the brother, who urged the memory of his mother as an
inducement. Now it so turned out that Don Carlos, though forty years
old, and as ugly as a sculpin, became enamored with the beauty and
fortune of his ward, and, hoping to win her, kept her rigidly secluded
from the society of every gentleman, but especially that of the
American residents. Pedro Garcia, the brother, whom Captain Hopkins
represented to be a fine, manly fellow, was, however, much opposed to
such a plan, and ardently desired that his sister should marry an
American, being convinced that this was the only way for her to get a
husband and save her fortune. 'If,' said Captain Hopkins, in
conclusion, 'some smart young Yankee could carry the girl off, it
would be no bad speculation. Ben, you had better try yourself, you
couldn't please Mr. Byrne better.'

"'Much obliged,' I replied, 'but Yankee girls suit my taste tolerably
well, much better than pirates' daughters, and I hope that I can
please my owner well enough by doing my duty aboard ship.'

"'Pshaw! she is not a pirate's daughter exactly; she's Mr. Byrne's
niece.'

"'For all that,' I answered, 'I should expect to find my throat cut
some fine morning.'

"'Well, well,' said the old skipper, 'I only wish that I was a young
man, for the girl is said to be as handsome as a mermaid, and as for
money, I s'pose she's worth devilish nigh upon two hundred thousand
dollars.'

"The next day but one was Sunday, so after dressing myself in my
go-ashore toggery, I went with the skipper to take another stroll in
the city. We dined at a _cafe_, and then hearing the cathedral bells
tolling for vespers, I concluded to leave the skipper to smoke and
snooze alone, and go and hear the performances. It was rat