belong to me; and I must let the doctor see to them before anybody
else begins nursing them."

In the meantime, however, Mrs Clayton had taken the infant out of the
mate's arms, while the little boy was snatched away by Ellen Barrow and
the rest of the young ladies, who kept fondling him among them, and
showing that they would do their best to spoil him before the voyage was
over.

Mr Hawkins, the surgeon, finding that his services were of no avail to
the rest of those who had been in the boat, now appeared, and examined
the baby as it lay in Mrs Clayton's arms.

"It seems to have been wonderfully sustained," he observed. "I can
discover nothing the matter with it; and with some of the food our goat
can supply, I have no doubt in a few days it will have perfectly
recovered. Let me relieve you of the child, madam, and give it to one
of the women-servants to nurse."

But Mrs Clayton showed no inclination to give up her charge. There
were feelings rising in her bosom whose exquisite delight a fond mother,
as she presses her first-born to her breast, can well appreciate. The
lady gave an imploring look at her husband, which he well understood.

"Do as you wish, dearest," he whispered.

She returned him a glance full of grateful thanks.

"Captain Willis," she said, in a voice agitated with the fear that her
request might be denied, "I will, if you will allow me, take charge of
the poor deserted one, till its proper guardians can be found; and I
daresay we shall be able to learn from the little boy who they are."

"To no one would I more gladly commit the infant than to you, madam,"
returned the captain. "And pray, consider her your property till
claimed by others with greater right to her."

So it was settled; and Mrs Clayton did indeed prove an affectionate
mother to the little foundling. Captain Willis, however, was much
disappointed in not being able to obtain the information he expected
from the elder child. The little fellow could speak very rapidly, but
it was in a language neither he nor any of the young ladies could
understand, though he seemed to comprehend what was said to him in
English. They tried him with a variety of names to endeavour to
discover the one belonging to him; but to none of them did he pay any
attention.

On a sudden he began to cry to go to his Aya; but as he was kept out of
sight of the dead body, and petted by the young ladies, who tried every
means to please him, he was soo