. Captain Gauley was very civil to her; but she did not allude to
the events of the previous evening. He was a bad man, and she could
hardly help shuddering in his presence.

All day long she played with the children, and short as she made the
hours to them, they were very long to her. She was so gentle, and kind,
and unselfish, even in her woe, that the little ones loved her, and
would hardly leave her for a moment. She was certainly comforted by
their presence, and her endeavors to assure them lightened the moments
of the long day. The kindness of Mrs. Vincent did much to assure her;
she was satisfied that nothing worse than a long separation from her
parents was likely to happen to her. Feeling that it was useless to
repine at her condition, or to weep over what she could not avoid, she
resolved to make the best of it. There was no real hardship in her
situation, and the circumstances were certainly more agreeable than
when she had before been an involuntary passenger in Dock's vessel. The
absence of the villain himself was perhaps her greatest consolation;
but the presence of Mrs. Vincent and the children was a real comfort.

In the evening Bessie and Dock's wife talked the matter over again in
her state-room. Mrs. Vincent roundly and unequivocally condemned the
conduct of her husband. She had discovered that the Caribbee was now
headed to the west, and it was plain to her that she was not yet on her
way to Australia. Dock had told her he was going to New York, and it
was possible that he intended to join them there. She told Bessie that
she might be able to leave the vessel when she reached her destined
port. The poor girl became more reconciled to her situation only
because it was no worse, rather than because it was not bad enough. She
slept well that night.

The next day she played with the children, read to them, and dressed
the girl's doll in the latest fashion. In the evening, after Bessie had
retired, the Caribbee ran by Sandy Hook, and made a harbor near Amboy,
where she came to anchor. She was moored a mile from the shore, and no
other vessel was near her. Captain Gauley had carried out the plans of
Dock to the letter. He had been a steamboat pilot in these waters, and
was quite familiar with the navigation. Dock had made his acquaintance
while he was acting as mate of a boat, and the mate and the pilot were
congenial spirits.

When Bessie went on deck with the children in the morning, Captain
Gauley t