paths, from the
jungle towards the dwelling of her father.

Captain Bramble dined with Don Leonardo that day, and his good spirits
and pleasant converse were afterwards the subject of comment, exhibiting
him in a fair more favorable light than he had appeared in since his
arrival at the factory. Maud, too, either for sake of disguise, or
because the knowledge of her plan imparted exhilaration of spirits to
her, was more agreeable, seemingly frank and friendly than she had been
for many a long day, if we except the day before the late attack of the
negroes upon the house, when the same treacherous assumption of
cheerfulness and satisfaction with all parties was similarly assumed.

Captain Ratlin, on his part, was ever the same; he found that he must
wait some weeks even yet before he could prosecute the purpose of his
voyage, and indeed he seemed to have lost all interest in it. His
thoughts were full of too pure an object to permit him to participate to
any extent in so questionable a business. Gladly would he at any moment
have thrown up his charge of the "Sea Witch;" and he had indeed promised
Miss Huntington that for her sake, and in honor of her friendship (for
he had never aspired to any more intimate relationship), he would ignore
the trade altogether, and that he would despatch Mr. Faulkner, his first
officer, to the owners in Cuba with the ship he had himself taken in
charge.

Having been brought up from childhood upon the sea, he had never studied
the morality of the trade in which he was now engaged. But the nice
sense of honor which was so strong a characteristic of his nature, only
required the gentle influence of a sweet and refined nature like her
with whom providence had so opportunely thrown him, to reform him
altogether of those rougher ideas which he had naturally imbibed in the
course of his perilous and daring profession. In the presence of that
fair and pure-minded girl he was as a child, impressible, and ready to
follow her simplest instructions. All this betokened a native refinement
of soul, else he could never have evinced the pliability which had
rendered him so pleasant and agreeable a companion to her he secretly
loved.

"Lady," he said to her as they sat together that afternoon, "Heaven has
sent you for a guardian angel to me; your refining influence has come to
my heart at its most lonely, its most necessary moment. I have done with
this trade, never more to engage in it."

"That is