heart, and the apple of her brother’s eye.  It was a beautiful thing to see, Walter, the strong love of those two—­the exultant pride of the brother in his sister’s loveliness—­in her accomplishments, for she knew many things our country folks were unacquainted with.  The deep affection of the sister—­oh, it was a happy and a handsome picture, that mother, sister and brother.  She took more pleasure in the society of your daughter than in any other of the village girls, and they were much together.  Ellen taught her what she had learned, and thus it came about that her brother first noticed and finally loved her.  And she loved him in return.  A handsomer or more fitting pair never trod the sod together.  You would have approved the match.  Your father gave his consent—­he had long mourned you as dead—­and they were to have been married when she became 20 years of age.  It yet wanted two years of this time when our lord returned from abroad.  He soon visited the house of his old playfellow, and was struck with the beauty of Ellen Hunter—­but he too well knew the character of Horace Hunter to openly show it.  The first step he took was to dismiss your father from the stewardship, under pretence of his being too old, and settling a pension on him.  He did not wish the good old man near him—­it was a living reproach on his bad deeds.’

‘On the infamous practices of his race,’ said the seaman sternly; ’bad father and bad son—­but proceed.’

’He installed this man Lambert in your father’s place—­a cold, unfeeling man—­a money-worshiper, and suspected of being only too willing an instrument in furthering his master’s infamous designs.  Lambert sedulously cultivated an intimacy with the Hunters—­condoled with the mother, ingratiated himself with the young man, and affected unbounded friendship.  Ellen, however, with the true instinct of a pure and innocent girl, shrank from his companionship; innocence will ever shrink with innate consciousness from baseness.  He persuaded Hunter to rent a farm in addition to his own, and lent him money to speculate largely in breeding fancy sheep.  The speculation failed—­the agent pressed for payment.  His master came forward and paid the amount.  Thus he appeared as a benefactor, and Ellen’s gratitude soon ripened into love; but her brother was in the way.  He went to Erith to make some purchases for his mother and sister, and was kidnapped by a press-gang.  Lambert had been there a few days before.’

‘Ah, I understand,’ said the seaman—­’too plain.  Fire them—­what right have they to seize a free man as if he were a negro slave?’

‘It’s a shame,’ said Mrs. Ally, ‘but good King George—­’

‘Imbecile old ass,’ said the mariner—­’go on with your story.’