this island, these little bonfire arrangements, and the whole episode of
my unfortunate marriage, why, I'll carry you home aboard the
_Nemorosa_."

I eagerly accepted his conditions.

"One thing more," said he. "My late wife was some sort of a sorceress
among the blacks; and they are all persuaded she has come alive again in
your agreeable person. Now, you will have the goodness to keep up that
fancy, if you please; and to swear to them, on the authority of Hoodoo
or whatever his name may be, that I am from this moment quite a sacred
character."

"I swear it," said I, "by my father's memory; and that is a vow that I
will never break."

"I have considerably better hold on you than any oath," returned Sir
George, with a chuckle; "for you are not only an escaped slave, but
have, by your own account, a considerable amount of stolen property."

I was struck dumb; I saw it was too true; in a glance, I recognised that
these jewels were no longer mine; with similar quickness, I decided they
should be restored, ay, if it cost me the liberty that I had just
regained. Forgetful of all else, forgetful of Sir George, who sat and
watched me with a smile, I drew out Mr. Caulder's pocket-book and turned
to the page on which the dying man had scrawled his testament. How shall
I describe the agony of happiness and remorse with which I read it! for
my victim had not only set me free, but bequeathed to me the bag of
jewels.

My plain tale draws towards a close. Sir George and I, in my character
of his rejuvenated wife, displayed ourselves arm-in-arm among the
negroes, and were cheered and followed to the place of embarkation.
There, Sir George, turning about, made a speech to his old companions,
in which he thanked and bade them farewell with a very manly spirit; and
towards the end of which he fell on some expressions which I still
remember. "If any of you gentry lose your money," he said, "take care
you do not come to me; for in the first place, I shall do my best to
have you murdered; and if that fails, I hand you over to the law.
Blackmail won't do for me. I'll rather risk all upon a cast, than be
pulled to pieces by degrees. I'll rather be found out and hang, than
give a doit to one man-jack of you." That same night we got under way
and crossed to the port of New Orleans, whence, as a sacred trust, I
sent the pocket-book to Mr. Caulder's son. In a week's time, the men
were all paid off; new hands were shipped; and the _Nemoro