-but it was my statement; there was also my statement of my
mother residing with Captain Delmar's aunt; altogether there was doubt
and mystery; and it ended in my mother being supposed to be a much
greater person than she really was--everything tending to prove her a
lady of rank being willingly received, and all counter-statements looked
upon as apocryphal and false.

But whoever my mother might be, on one point every one agreed, which
was, that I was the son of the Honourable Captain Delmar, and on this
point I was equally convinced myself. I waited with some anxiety for my
mother's reply to my letter, which arrived two days after I had joined
the frigate. It was as follows:--

"My dear Percival:--

"You little know the pain and astonishment which I felt upon receipt
of your very unkind and insulting letter; surely you could not have
reflected at the time you wrote it, but must have penned it in a
moment of irritation arising from some ungenerous remark which has
been made in your hearing.

"Alas, my dear child, you will find, now that you have commenced your
career in life, that there are too many whose only pleasure is to
inflict pain upon their fellow-creatures. I only can imagine that
some remark has been made in your presence, arising from there being a
similarity of features between you and the Honourable Captain Delmar;
that there is so has been before observed by others. Indeed your
uncle and aunt Bridgeman were both struck with the resemblance, when
Captain Delmar arrived at Chatham; but this proves nothing, my dear
child--people are very often alike, who have never seen each other, or
heard each other mentioned, till they have by accident been thrown
together so as to be compared.

"It may certainly be, as your father was in the service of Captain
Delmar, and constantly attended upon him, and indeed I may add as I
was occasionally seeing him, that the impression of his countenance
might be constantly in our memory, and--but you don't understand such
questions, and therefore I will say no more, except that you will
immediately dismiss from your thoughts any such idea.

"You forget, my dearest boy, that you are insulting me by supposing
any such thing, and that your mother's honour is called in question; I
am sure you never thought of that when you wrote those hasty and
inconsiderate lines. I must add, my dear boy, that knowing Captain
Delmar,