ery different person."

"A woman who drinks, Mr Keene, is lost to everything. I've often
thought of it, after I've become sober again. Five years ago I was the
best girl in the school. I was the monitor and wore a medal for good
conduct. I thought that I should be so happy with James; I loved him
so, and do so still. I knew that he was fond of liquor, but I never
thought that he would make me drink. I thought then that I should cure
him, and with the help of God I will now; not only him, but myself too."

And I will here state that Peggy Pearson, whose only fault was the
passion she had imbibed for drinking, did keep her vow; the difficulty
of which few can understand who have not been intemperate themselves;
and she not only continued sober herself, but by degrees broke her
husband of his similar propensity to liquor.

It was not till the evening of the fourth that we arrived at the Nore.
I had four pounds in my pocket at the time that I went adrift, which was
more than sufficient, even if I had not intended to go and see my
mother. A wherry came alongside, and Peggy Pearson and I stepped into
it, after I had thanked the captain, and given a sovereign to the seamen
to drink my health.

As soon as we landed at Sheerness I gave another of my sovereigns to
Peggy, and left her to find her way back to Portsmouth, while I walked
up to Chatham to my mother's house.

It was past eight o'clock and quite dark when I arrived; the shop was
closed, and the shutters up at the front door; so I went round to the
back to obtain admittance. The door was not fast, and I walked into the
little parlour without meeting with anybody. I heard somebody upstairs,
and I thought I heard sobbing; it then struck me that my supposed loss
might have been communicated to my mother. There was a light on the
parlour table, and I perceived an open letter lying near to it. I
looked at it; it was the handwriting of Captain Delmar. The candle
required snuffing; I raised the letter to the light that I might read
it, and read as follows:--

"MY DEAR ARABELLA:--

"You must prepare yourself for very melancholy tidings, and it is most
painful to me to be compelled to be the party who communicates them.
A dreadful accident has occurred, and indeed I feel most sincerely for
you. On the night of the 10th, Percival was in a boat which broke
adrift from the ship in a gale of wind; it was dark, and the fact not
known until too late t