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mighty jealous. So I lays off on my oars in the middle of the stream, and sure enough I sees the captain and your mother get into a small skiff belonging to his ship, and pull away; the captain had one oar and one of his men another. I pulled a'ter them as fast as I could, and at last they seed me, and not wishing me to find her out, she begged them to pull away as fast as they could, for she knew how savage I would be. Still I gained upon them, every now and then looking round and vowing vengeance in my heart, when all of a sudden I heard a scream, and perceived their boat to capsize, and all hands in the water. They had not seen a warp of a vessel getting into the row, and had run over it, and, as it tautened, they capsized. Your mother went down like a stone, Mary, and was not found for three days a'terward; and when I seed her sink I fell down in a fit." Here old Stapleton stopped, laid down

his pipe, and rested his face in his hands. Mary burst into tears. After a few minutes he resumed. "When I came to, I found myself on board of the ship in the captain's cabin, with the captain and his wife watching over me—and then I came to understand that it was she who had sent for your mother, and that she was living on board, and that your mother had at first refused, because she knew that I did not like her to be on the river, but wishing to see a ship, had consented. So it was not so bad a'ter all, only that a woman shouldn't act without her husband-but you see, Mary, all this would not have happened if it hadn't been that I overheard part of what was said; and you might now have had a mother and I a wife to comfort us, if it hadn't been for my unfortunate hearing-so, as I said before, there's more harm than good that comes from these senses-at least so it has proved to me. And now you've

heard my story, and how your mother died, Mary, so take care you don't fall into the same fault, and be too fond of being looked at, which it does somehow or another appear to me you have a bit of a hankling a'ter-but like mother like child, they say, and that's human natur."

When Stapleton had concluded his narrative, he smoked his pipe in silence. Mary sat at the table with her hands pressed to her temples, apparently in deep thought; and I felt any thing but communicative. In half an hour the pot of beer was finished, and Stapleton rose.

"Come, Mary, don't be thinking so much; let's all go to-bed. Show Jacob his room, and then come up."

"Jacob can find his own room, father," replied Mary, "without my showing him; he knows the kitchen, and there is but one other below."

I took my candle, wished them good night, and went to my bed, which, although very

homely, was at all events comfortable.

CHAPTER VII.

The warmth of my gratitude proved by a very cold test-The road to fortune may sometimes lead over a bridge of ice-Mine lay under it-Amor vincit every thing but my obstinacy, which young Tom and the old Domine in the sequel will prove to their cost,

FOR many days the frost continued, until at last the river was frozen over, and all communication by it was stopped. Stapleton's money ran short, our fare became very indifferent, and Mary declared that we must all go begging with the market gardeners if it lasted much longer,

"I must go and call upon Mr. Turnbull, and

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