sort.'
"'You are right, Bill,' he said--'you are right. We'll say no more about this now, but you may reckon upon me when we are no longer under his orders.'
"'Then there's no danger, you know.'
"Well, we said nothing about this, but I thought of it, and I had cause enough, too, to think of it; for each day the captain grew more and more tyrannous and brutal. I knew not what to do, but kept my resolution of doing my duty in spite of all he could do, though I don't mind admitting I had more than one mind to kill him and myself afterwards.
"However, I contrived to hold out for another week or two, and then we came into port, and were released from his tyranny. I got paid off, and then I met my messmate, and we had some talk about the matter.
"'The worst of it is,' said I, 'we shall have some difficulty to catch him; and, if we can, I'll be sworn we shall give him enough to last him for at least a voyage or two.'
"'He ought to have it smart,' said my messmate; 'and I know where he is to be found.'
"'Do you?--at what hour?'
"'Late at night, when he may be met with as he comes from a house where he spends his evenings."
"'That will be the best time in the world, when we shall have less interference than at any other time in the day. But we'll have a turn to-night if you will be with me, as he will be able to make too good a defence to one. It will be a fight, and not a chastisement.'
"'It will. I will be with you; you know where to meet me. I shall be at the old spot at the usual time, and then we will go.'
"We parted; and, in the evening, we both went together, and sought the place where we should find him out, and set upon him to advantage.
"He was nearly two hours before he came; but when he did come, we saluted him with a rap on the head, that made him hold his tongue; and then we set to, and gave him such a tremendous drubbing, that we left him insensible; but he was soon taken away by some watchmen, and we heard that he was doing well; but he was dreadfully beaten; indeed, it would take him some weeks before he could be about in his duties.
"He was fearfully enraged, and offered fifty pounds reward to any one who could give him information as to who it was that assaulted him.
"I believe he had a pretty good notion of who it was; but he could not swear to me; but still, seeing he was busying himself too much about me, I at once walked away, and went on my way to another part of the country."
"To get married?"
"Ay, and to get into business."
"Then, things are not quite so bad as I thought for at first."
"No--no, not so bad but what they might have been worse a great deal; only I cannot go to sea any more, that's quite certain."
"You needn't regret that."
"I don't know."
"Why not know? Are you not going to be married?--ain't that much better?"
"I can't say," replied the sailor; "there's no knowing how my bargain may turn out; if she does well, why, then the cruising is over; but nothing short of that will satisfy me; for if my wife is at all not what I wish her to be, why, I shall be off to sea."
"I don't blame you, either; I would do so too, if it were possible; but you see, we can't do so well on land as you do at sea; we can be followed about from pillar to post, and no bounds set to our persecution."
"That's true enough," said the other; "we can cut and run when we have had enough of it. However, I must get to the village, as I shall sleep there to-night, if I find my quarters comfortable enough."
"Come on, then, at once," said his companion; "it's getting dark now; and you have no time to lose."
These two now got up, and walked away towards the village; and Chillingworth arose also, and pursued his way towards the Hall, while he remarked to himself,--
"Well--well, they have nothing to do with that affair at all events. By-the-bye, I wonder what amount of females are deserted in the navy; they certainly have an advantage over landsmen, in the respect of