and poor little Virginia became so
frightened that she also roared as loud as her mother.

"I've more than two minds," said my father, taking the rope's end out of
his pocket again; "but howsomever, since you wish it, all the world
shall know it."

My father put his colt into his pocket, and went to unlock the door. My
mother, perceiving what he was about, immediately rose and hastened
upstairs to her own room. My father then told the neighbors what had
occurred, and why my mother had been punished, and the verdict of
Fisher's Alley was, "sarved her right." Ben the Whaler, who was outside
with the others, espoused my father's cause, and as soon as the people
dispersed my father invited him to join him in his pipe and pot.

Little Virginia, still terrified, had crept up to her mother. I, on the
contrary, felt the highest respect for one who could dare to punish my
mother, who had so often punished me; and the knowledge that he was my
father inspired me with a feeling of tenderness toward him which I could
not repress. I was old enough to understand why my mother had received
such treatment, and I could not feel angry with my father; I therefore
stayed below, and went for the porter as was required.

I believe that at first it had been my father's intentions to have
administered a much severer castigation to my mother, and then to have
left the house, taking me with him, for he had not been apprised of the
birth of Virginia; but whatever were his intentions before he came, or
for the morrow, it is certain that he continued to smoke and talk with
old Ben the Whaler till a very late hour, while I sat by and listened.

CHAPTER SIX

A bright pleasant Evening after a Squall, in which the Art of
Angling is introduced in a way which would have added to the
Knowledge of Izaac Walton himself.

"I beg pardon, messmate," said Ben, as he and my father became more
sociable; "but may I make so bold as to ask you how you contrived to get
that seam across your figure-head? You did say something about a
Frenchman, if I heard right; and as the war is now of two years'
standing, I suppose you've had a rap or two at Mounseer."

"'Xpect I have," replied my father. "Well, old chap, I'll just wet my
whistle, and then I'll tell you all about it, and it won't take long,
neither. The boats were ordered away--"

"Of what ship, messmate?"

"Very true, I began in the middle. Well, it was in the ship I now
belongs to