en, admiral," cried Jack, "for I have
all her passengers safe on board my brig; and if you can tell me where
he is to be found, the sooner I relieve his mind the better."

"Let us jump into a hackney coach, and we shall soon be there,"
exclaimed the admiral.

Jack brought the joyful intelligence to Murray, whom he found almost
prostrated. It quickly had the effect of reviving him, and accompanied
by the admiral they were soon on board the _Supplejack_.

Whether or not Murray asked Stella the question on that occasion does
not matter, but very shortly afterwards, Fanny told Jack that all was
settled, and that she had promised to become his, soon after their
arrival in London, where her father intended to remain for some weeks.

Alick escorted the ladies and Mr Bradshaw to town the next day, after
they had somewhat recovered their fatigue by a night's rest.

Jack had to remain at Portsmouth to pay off the brig, though he would
rather have accompanied his friends. Admiral Triton stopped also, as he
said, to look after Tom and Desmond, but in reality to hear the yarns
which he made the youngsters spin about their adventures.

It did not take long to pay off the poor little _Supplejack_, which was
then towed up the harbour and placed on the mud, never again to float on
blue water.

Needham heaved a deep sigh as he heard the report of her destined fate.
It was too true, he found. She was to become a target for the guns of
the _Excellent_.

"Well, well," he said, "she has done good service in her day. It is
better to be of use to the last than to be broken up, as is the lot of
many a once stout ship, for firewood."

Through the interest of Admiral Triton, Needham got charge of a ship in
ordinary, where he hoped to remain till he should get appointed to one
on active service.

Jack immediately on his arrival wrote to Terence, who had gone to
Ballymacree; he had invited Desmond to accompany Tom to Halliburton. In
reply, Terence begged him to come over to Ireland as soon as he could
tear himself away from home. "Nora is of course anxious to see her
boy," he added, "so I beg you will bring him over, and Tom also, if his
mother and sisters can spare him." Jack, however, was very doubtful
about going to Ballymacree at all; he had been greatly attracted by the
person and manners of Fanny Bradshaw, though, to be sure, she had not
said anything to make him suppose that she regarded him in any other
light than that of