English, "my mother was a Scotchwoman, and a
Protestant."

"Good heavens! then I am afraid--I am sure--that--in short, I believe
that something was said before you came below, that must have been
unpleasant--that, indeed, could not but hurt your feelings."

Isabella was extremely agitated, and turned away her head.

"What would I not give," continued he, in a low voice, "what would I not
sacrifice, to be able--to be permitted, to assist you in any way."

He stopped, scarcely knowing what he said, or hardly knowing whether he
had spoken at all. The poor girl raised her swimming eyes in
supplication.

"For heaven's sake! drop this subject; if my uncle knew that you had
spoken thus to me, he would carry me back immediately."

"But tell me, dearest lady, tell me, is there no way in which I can be
of service to you?"

"No, no, no, leave me; if you have any regard for me, leave me. I thank
you for the interest you have shown for me; but it will avail nothing."

The tone of extreme dejection, and melancholy, in which she pronounced
these last words, almost drove Morton beside himself. He was completely
bewildered with conflicting emotions--a young and beautiful woman,
lovely in person and in mind, and, what made her irresistible to an
unsophisticated, warm, generous, and feeling heart, in
affliction--affliction that seemed more remediless, because not
understood by one, nor communicated by the other.

From this situation of mutual embarrassment, they were relieved by the
entrance of one of the young ladies, who came to call her cousin into
the steerage, to see the wonders already alluded to. Luckily, Carlota,
although a good-natured girl, and fond of her cousin Isabella, was not
remarkably keen-sighted, or she must have noticed the agitation and
embarrassment of both parties.

In the meantime, Mr. Coffin, who had a large share of a particular kind
of shrewdness, had noticed that his friend seemed inclined to enjoy the
society of Isabella uninterrupted; and, to assist that manoeuvre as
much as possible, engaged the young officers with some tremendous tough
fish stories, in which he was ably supported by one of the
boat-steerers, a Portuguese, who spoke Spanish, as a matter of course,
and helped out his officer, when his imperfect knowledge of the
language brought him to a stand still. So he managed to hold them, as
jackasses are held,--by the ears,--till he saw his companion and the
young lady come into the steerag