Miss Ossulton; have I not?'

'Ours is but a short and strange acquaintance.'

'I grant it; but it will serve for you to talk about long after. I shall
disappear as suddenly as I have come--you will neither of you, in all
probability, ever see me again.'

The dinner was announced, and they sat down to table as before; but the
elderly spinster refused to make her appearance, and Mrs. Lascelles and
Cecilia, who thought she had been frightened enough, did not attempt to
force her. Pickersgill immediately yielded to these remonstrances, and
from that time she remained undisturbed in the ladies' cabin, meditating
over the indignity of having sat down to table, having drank wine, and
been obliged to walk on shore, taking the arm of a smuggler, and appear
in such a humiliating situation.

The wind was light, and they made but little progress, and were not
abreast of Portland till the second day, when another yacht appeared in
sight, and the two vessels slowly neared, until in the afternoon they
were within four miles of each other. It then fell a dead calm: signals
were thrown out by the other yacht, but could not be distinguished, and,
for the last time, they sat down to dinner. Three days' companionship on
board of a vessel, cooped up together, and having no one else to
converse with, will produce intimacy; and Pickersgill was a young man of
so much originality and information, that he was listened to with
pleasure. He never attempted to advance beyond the line of strict
decorum and politeness; and his companion was equally unpresuming.
Situated as they were, and feeling what must have been the case had they
fallen into other hands, both Cecilia and Mrs. Lascelles felt some
degree of gratitude towards him; and, although anxious to be relieved
from so strange a position, they had gradually acquired a perfect
confidence in him; and this had produced a degree of familiarity on
their parts, although never ventured upon by the smuggler. As Corbett
was at the table, one of the men came down and made a sign. Corbett
shortly after quitted the table and went on deck. 'I wish, my lord, you
would come up a moment, and see if you can make this flag out,' said
Corbett, giving a significant nod to Pickersgill. 'Excuse me, ladies,
one moment,' said Pickersgill, who went on deck.

'It is the boat of the yacht coming on board,' said Corbett; 'and Lord
B. is in the stern-sheets with the gentleman who was with him.'

'And how many men in