fection with which she
played the few bars of the introduction I just let myself go, and was
rewarded for my pains by receiving what sounded like very genuine and
hearty applause when the song came to an end.

Then Monroe, who was gifted with a really beautiful tenor voice, sang
with much taste and feeling an old plantation song; after which Mrs
Vansittart sang in Italian. Then, by way of a change, we had Gounod's
"Ave Maria", Mrs Vansittart playing the accompaniment on the piano
while I played the air on my fiddle and Monroe joined in with an
obligato on the organ. So, in a very delightful way, to me at least,
the evening was passed until four bells chimed out, when we closed the
concert by rendering "Hail, Columbia!" with all the vocal and
instrumental strength at our command.

As Kennedy and I took our leave, Mrs Vansittart very graciously thanked
us both for giving her the pleasure of our company, and expressed the
hope that we should spend together many equally enjoyable evenings; but
Miss Vansittart scarcely deigned to acknowledge, by the curtest nod of
her head, our farewell bows. As for the boy, he was, or pretended to
be, fast asleep.

Taking my beloved fiddle with me, I hurried away to my cabin, placed the
instrument safely in my bunk, shifted hurriedly into my working clothes,
and went on deck, where I was presently joined by Kennedy. The pilot
was in charge on the poop, and Mrs Vansittart, wrapped in a voluminous
cloak, was also up there, taking a look round and a brief promenade
before turning in; so the first mate and I fell into step and walked
fore and aft in the waist, between the break of the poop and the fore
rigging.

It was a lovely night, very clear and brilliantly starlit. There was no
moon, the satellite, then well advanced in her fourth quarter, not
rising until toward morning; and it was very cold, a light breeze from
the north-east having sprung up about the end of the second dog-watch.
We were by that time well down toward the mouth of the Thames estuary,
the Tongue lightship being about a point and a half before our port
beam, while Margate lights were broad on our starboard bow, the ship
heading a trifle to the south of east as she edged in toward the land
preparatory to hauling round the North Foreland.

There was a small easterly swell running, just enough to impart motion
to the ship and let us know that we were afloat, and we were slipping
along at a fine rate upon the last o