and water.

"Enough, enough. Come on, Macduff! Ah! Minnie, this is prime Jamaica;
it's got such a--but I forgot; you don't understand nothin' about nectar
of this sort."

The captain smoked in silence for a few minutes, and then said, with a
sudden chuckle--

"Wasn't it odd, sister, that we should have found it all out in such an
easy sort o' way? If criminals would always tell on themselves as
plainly as Big Swankie did, there would be no use for lawyers."

"Swankie would not have spoken so freely," said Minnie, with a laugh,
"if he had known that we were listening."

"That's true, girl," said the captain, with sudden gravity; "and I don't
feel quite easy in my mind about that same eavesdropping. It's a dirty
thing to do--especially for an old sailor, who likes everything to be
fair and above-board; but then, you see, the natur' o' the words we
couldn't help hearin' justified us in waitin' to hear more. Yes, it was
quite right, as it turned out. A little more tea, Minnie. Thank'ee,
lass. Now go, get the case, and let us look over it again."

The girl rose, and, going to a drawer, quickly returned with a small red
leather case in her hand. It was the identical jewel-case that Swankie
had found on the dead body at the Bell Rock!

"Ah! that's it; now, let us see; let us see." He laid aside his pipe,
and for some time felt all his pockets, and looked round the room, as if
in search of something.

"What are you looking for, uncle?"

"The specs, lass; these specs'll be the death o' me."

Minnie laughed. "They're on your brow, uncle!"

"So they are! Well, well--"

The captain smiled deprecatingly, and, drawing his chair close to the
table, began to examine the box.

Its contents were a strange mixture, and it was evident that the case
had not been made to hold them.

There was a lady's gold watch, of very small size, and beautifully
formed; a set of ornaments, consisting of necklace, bracelets, ring, and
ear-rings of turquoise and pearls set in gold, of the most delicate and
exquisite chasing; also, an antique diamond cross of great beauty,
besides a number of rings and bracelets of considerable value.

As the captain took these out one by one, and commented on them, he made
use of Minnie's pretty hand and arm to try the effect of each, and truly
the ornaments could not have found a more appropriate resting-place
among the fairest ladies of the land.

Minnie submitted to be made use of in this