no reply; at last he said, in a quiet
tone, "You may leave the room, Cross."

What were the thoughts and feelings of Captain Delmar when he was left
to reflect upon the information which he had received, I cannot tell but
that he was not angry I inferred by the tone in which he desired Cross
to leave the room. I was absorbed in my own feelings, when the surgeon
entered the room, and gave me a letter. "Here's a schooner just come in
with despatches from the admiral," said the surgeon: "the second
lieutenant has brought them on shore for the captain, and among the
letters from England I found this one for you. I have seen Cross,"
continued the surgeon, nodding his head significantly as he left the
room.

"The second lieutenant, with despatches, sir," reported Bob Cross to the
captain in the other room--"Shall I show him in?"

"No, I am not well; desire him to send them in by you," replied the
captain.

While the captain was busy with his despatches, I read my letter, which
was from my mother, enclosing a copy of one from my grandmother,
announcing my mother's death. Of course there were a great many dying
wishes; but that was a matter of course. I felt happy that this letter
to the captain arrived at such a propitious time, as I knew that the
announcement of my mother's death would be a great point in my favour.
That it ought not to have been, I confess; but I knew whom I had to deal
with: the captain was ashamed of his intimacy, and the claims of my
mother upon him, but not so much ashamed of me; and, now that she was
removed, probably he might not be at all ashamed. My mother was no
relation, and below him--I was his own flesh and blood, and half
ennobled by so being.

The captain sent on board orders for getting under weigh. It appeared
that the admiral had written to him, desiring him to sail for the coast
of South America, to look after a French frigate, and that, as there was
no farther occasion for so large a force at Martinique, he was to leave
the next senior officer in command; but this was Captain W, who had died
of the fever.

As senior in command, Captain Delmar then filled up the vacancy; the
captain of a corvette was appointed to Captain W's ship; our first
lieutenant to the command of the corvette; but the lieutenant's vacancy
was not filled up, much to the surprise of the officers of the squadron.
This was the work of the afternoon; in the evening the master was sent
for, and a consultation