quadrille with you."

The young lady to whom he spoke, smiled, and said she should be very
happy; but the aunt made a wry face, and observed that she intended to
have asked him to introduce his friend, Major White of the --.

"I hope my young friend, Raby, will do as well. He is a nephew of Lord
--," observed Captain Fleetwood, in a slightly satirical tone. "I will
bring up White, in tow, to your ladyship, as soon as I can sight him."

Captain Fleetwood was always more thoroughly nautical in his mode of
expression at Malta than in any other place.

"Oh, certainly, I am most happy to know any of your officers, especially
a nephew of Lord --, whose brother is a great friend of my husband's
cousin."

Captain Fleetwood might have made a rejoinder; but at that moment his
eye glanced towards the door, at which was entering a stout, oldish
gentleman, in plain clothes, and hanging on his arm, a fair, young, and
very pretty and interesting girl. He instantly hurried forward, and
claimed her hand for the next dance, which, with one of the sweetest
possible smiles, she promised to give him, while the old gentleman,
though he nodded to him, evidently regarded him with far from amiable
feelings.

The young officer, however, who appeared accustomed to the old man's
surly looks, and indifferent to them, remained by her side, and engaged
her in an animated conversation. At last her companion lost all
patience, and tugging at her arm, he exclaimed--

"Come along, Ada, we must look for a seat somewhere till the dancing
begins, for I cannot undertake to stand on my legs all night. Captain
Fleetwood, you will find Miss Garden at the farther end of the room,
probably, when you wish to claim her hand for the next quadrille; but as
she is soon to commence a long sea voyage, I cannot allow her to fatigue
herself by dancing much this evening."

Colonel Gauntlett, for the speaker was the uncle of Ada Garden, said
this in a grave, cold tone, sufficient to freeze the heart of any
ordinary lover; and, pressing his niece's arm as if to prevent her from
escaping, he dragged her through the crowd towards a seat which he found
vacant.

"Ada," said the colonel, as he walked on, "I will not have you intimate
with any of those sea officers. I cannot bear them, from the highest to
the lowest. One of them had the impertinence to interfere between me
and a lady to whom I was paying my addresses. By Jove, miss, he carried
her off before my