wer for the
consequences."

"Those I do not fear," the other answered. "The results of this
transaction can make very little difference to a man on the verge of the
grave, who has outlived all his relatives, and has nothing left to fall
back upon but the memory of his misfortunes: but to one in the prime of
life like yourself, who can boast of friends and relatives who feel an
interest in your good name, these results must be serious indeed. What
must be the feelings of your respectable father when he learns that you
have joined a gang of pirates; how intense must be the grief of your
amiable mother when she hears that you have paid the penalty that must
sooner or later overtake you for embracing so lawless a life."

"Come, Mr Evelyn," exclaimed Gough, though with a tremulousness in his
voice that betrayed the state of his feelings, "you have no right to
preach to me. I have done as much as I could for you all. The men
would have made short work with you if I had not interposed, and pointed
out to them this uninhabited island."

"Where it seems you left a poor woman to be starved to death," continued
Mr Evelyn.

"It was no fault of mine," replied the man; "I did all I could to
prevent it."

"It would have been more manly if you had remained with her on this
rock, and left your cowardly associates to take their selfish course.
But you are weak and irresolute, John Gough; too easily persuaded into
evil, too slow to follow the impulses of good. The murder of that poor
woman is as much your deed as if you had blown her brains out before you
abandoned her. Indeed I do not know but what the latter would have been
the less criminal."

John Gough made no answer. I do not think, however, his mind was quite
easy under this accusation, for he seemed restless, and kept playing
with his pistols, with his eyes cast down.

"Your complicity in this mutiny, too, John Gough, is equally
inexcusable," continued Mr Evelyn. "It was your duty to have stood by
Captain Manvers and his officers; by which you would have earned their
eternal gratitude, and a handsome provision from the owners of the
vessel."

"It's no use talking of these things now, Mr Evelyn," said Gough,
hurriedly. "I have taken my course. It is too late to turn back.
Would to God," he added, dashing his hand violently against his brow, "I
had had nothing to do with it."

"It is never too late, John Gough, to do good," here cried out Mrs
Reichardt, as she