," said the middy, presenting his cocked hat to the
captain, "I did draw my dirk to kill him, but you ran away so fast that
I couldn't catch you."

"Very well, sir, you may go down to the boat and wait for orders,"
replied the captain.

At this moment my mother, who had been dressing herself, made her first
appearance, coming out of the back parlour with a glass of water, which
aunt Milly had gone in for. Perceiving a gold-laced captain, she
advanced all smiles and courtesies, until she looked in his face, and
then she gave a scream, and dropped the tumbler on the floor, much to
the surprise of Captain Bridgeman, and also of aunt Milly, who, not
having been at the Hall, was not acquainted with the person of Captain
Delmar.

Just at this moment in came I, looking as demure as if, as the saying
is, "butter would not melt in my mouth," and certainly as much
astonished as the rest at my mother's embarrassment; but she soon
recovered herself, and asked Captain Delmar if he would condescend to
repose himself a little in the back parlour. When my mother let the
tumbler fall, the captain had looked her full in the face and recognised
her, and, in a low voice, said, "Excessively strange,--so very
unexpected!" He then rose up from the chair and followed my mother into
the back room.

"Who can it be?" said Aunt Milly to Captain Bridgeman, in a low tone.

"I suppose it must be the new captain appointed to the Calliope. I read
his name in the papers,--the Honourable Captain Delmar."

"It must be him," replied Milly; "for my sister was brought up by his
aunt, Mrs Delmar; no wonder she was surprised at meeting him so
suddenly. Percival, you naughty boy," continued Milly, shaking her
finger at me, "it was all your doing."

"Oh, Aunt Milly! you should have seen him run," replied I, laughing at
the thought.

"I'd recommend you not to play with post captains," said Captain
Bridgeman, "or you may get worse than you give. Mercy on us!" exclaimed
he, looking at me full in the face.

"What's the matter?" said aunt Milly.

Captain Bridgeman leant over the counter, and I heard him whisper, "Did
you ever see such a likeness as between the lad and Captain Delmar?"

Milly blushed a little, nodded her head, and smiled, as she turned away.
Captain Bridgeman appeared to be afterwards in a brown study; he tapped
his boot with his cane, and did not speak.

About a quarter of an hour passed, during which Captain Delmar remained
wit