appeared, and a paleness came over her face, as she ran
through the few first lines of the letter. Then she summoned all her
resolution, and succeeded in telling her uncle the facts.

"A misfortune has befallen poor Roswell," she said, her voice trembling
with emotion, "though it does not seem to be half as bad as it might have
been. The letter is written at Beaufort, in North Carolina, where the
schooner has put in to get new masts, having lost those with which she
sailed in a gale of wind off Cape Hatteras."

"Hatteras!" interrupted the deacon, groaning--"What in natur' had my
vessel to do down there?"

"I am sure I don't know, sir--but I had better read you the contents of
Roswell's letter, and then you will hear the whole story."

Mary now proceeded to read aloud. Gardiner gave a frank, explicit account
of all that had happened since he parted with his owner, concealing
nothing, and not attempting even to extenuate his fault. Of the Sea Lion
of Holmes' Hole he wrote at large, giving it as his opinion that Captain
Daggett really possessed some clue--what he did not know--to the existence
of the sealing islands, though he rather thought that he was not very
accurately informed of their precise position. As respected the key,
Roswell was silent, for it did not at all occur to him that Daggett knew
anything of that part of his own mission. In consequence of this opinion,
not the least suspicion of the motive of the Vineyard-man, in sticking by
him, presented itself to Gardiner's mind; and nothing on the subject was
communicated in the letter. On the contrary, our young master was quite
eloquent in expressing his gratitude to Daggett and his crew, for the
assistance they had volunteered, and without which he could not have been
ready to go to sea again in less than a week. As it was, the letter was
partly written as the schooner re-passed the bar, and was sent ashore by
the pilot to be mailed. This fact was stated in full, in a postscript.

"Volunteered!" groaned the deacon, aloud. "As if a man ever volunteers to
work without his pay!"

"Roswell tells us that Captain Daggett did, uncle," answered Mary, "and
that it is understood between them he is to make no charge for his going
into Beaufort, or for anything he did while there. Vessels often help each
other in this kind way, I should hope, for the sake of Christian charity,
sir."

"Not without salvage, not without salvage! Charity is a good thing, and it
is our d