e was quiet. He had noble blood in his veins,
and had been sent out by government as ambassador, or something of that
sort. One of our crew came from his native village, and he told me these
particulars.'

A singular expression came over the Earl's features for a moment, and
the same low, mocking laugh was again heard, the listeners shuddered and
drew closer together: the mariner proceeded.

'We had a rough passage, but when we neared Cape Horn, of all the gales
that ever blew in five-and-forty years that I have been at sea, I never
saw one like that. One night when the storm was at its utmost, when the
lightning, blue and vivid, seemed to surround us with an atmosphere of
flame, he rushed upon deck, pale and trembling, declaring he could not
stay below, for there was a woman and child there, mocking him and
dancing in the lightning's flash.' A groan of horror burst from the
listeners. The Earl's cheek flushed for a moment, then turned pale, but
he was motionless and passionless in seeming. The seaman glanced at the
Earl from under his shaggy eyebrows, and proceeded.

'The sailors spoke together in angry whispers, some of them were for
throwing him overboard, and I had hard work to persuade them to leave
him to his Maker and his conscience; soon, however, we all heard the
wailing cry of a child, then stifling sobs, sounds mingled with the
storm like a woman's voice in agony of supplication, bitter, mocking
laughter. I could restrain the men no longer, "we will free our craft
from this Jonah," said they, "the storm is sent for him." But the
vengeance of the Almighty was swifter than theirs, he had climbed the
rigging--the stoutest seaman that ever handled rope could not have
passed the futtoch shrouds in such a storm, yet he reached the top-mast
cross-trees, clinging to the top-gallant mast he stood, and in the
lightning we had seen his face, ghastly with terror. There was a vivid
flash--it seemed to wrap the mast in one blue sheet of flame, while all
around was dark, we saw it then, a female with a child in her arms,
floating, as it seemed, upon the wind, now drifting towards him, now
whirled upon the blast to a distance. A tremendous sea struck us upon
the beam at this moment, and every mast went by the board. The gale
abated soon, and we got jury-masts up, and put back to Lima, but of all
that ship's crew, no man was hurt by the storm or the spirit, save he
whose deeds had been evil;--and that is why, my lord, I say