s delivered to him; he ran his eye
hurriedly over the addresses. Her handwriting was not to be seen. They
were all from England. He then made every inquiry in his power from the
shipping agents and others about the _Zodiac_; but nothing had been
heard of her. It was supposed she must long ago have arrived at her
destination. None of Colonel Gauntlett's friends had heard of him.
Disappointed and out of spirits, he at last returned on board. He was
afraid that he should be obliged to leave Malta without hearing of her
safe arrival; and then how many months might pass away before he might
receive a line from her. He did not, however, forget that others would
be glad to hear that they were to revisit their homes, and as he passed
Mr Saltwell, the first lieutenant, who was superintending the business
of sending the governor's casks of wine on shore, he told him to prepare
for sailing to England in a day or two. Before the captain had thrown
himself on the sofa in his cabin, which he did as soon as he reached it,
the joyous news had flown through the ship. Jemmy Duff was the first to
carry the news into the midshipmen's berth.

"Huzza, my lads!" he exclaimed, whisking round his cap, and letting it
come down over the eyes of Togle, another youngster of his own standing,
who was reeling after the fatigue of furling sails, and eating his
dinner,--"Old England for ever! Who'll bet that we shan't be kissing
our sweethearts at home this day six weeks?"

"Why, what do you mean?" cried several, looking up.

"Who'll take my bet?" replied Duff.

"Why, I will," answered Togle, who did not like being disturbed,
clearing his head at the same time from the cap. "I will, because I
don't think such an ugly-looking chap as you are can have a sweetheart
to kiss."

Whereon he got the cap pressed down harder than before, with his nose in
a slop of rum-and-water on the table.

"But what makes you sing out in that way?" asked Tompion, the second
mate. "You don't mean to say that we are homeward-bound, youngster?"

"I do, though; and the skipper has just come on board to say so,"
replied Duff; and thereon there was a general shout of congratulation,
for though all hands were very happy together, the thought of change was
exciting, and that of home was dear to most of them.

"Well, the hope of the Duffs will be once more pressed to the maternal
bosom. I congratulate you, Jemmy," said Togle, who was trying to get
his own nose in