The God received the guinea, which was now secretly offered, but it would seem that success had quickened his covetousness; for, instead of returning thanks, he rather appeared to manifest a disposition to increase the amount of the bribe.

“All this may be just as your Ladyship says,” he rejoined; “but the interest of my kingdom, and a large family at home, make it necessary that I should look sharp to my rights.  Was there a flag in the vessel?”

“There was.”

“Then, it is likely they hoisted it, as usual, at the end of the jib-boom?”

“It was hoisted, as is usual with a Vice-Admiral, at the fore.”

“Well answered, for petticoats!” muttered the Deity, a little baffled in his artifice.  “It is d——­d queer, saving your Ladyship’s presence, that I should have forgotten such a ship:  Was there any thing of the extraordinary sort, that one would be likely to remember?”

The features of the governess had already lost their forced pleasantry, in a shade of grave reflection and her eye was evidently fastened on vacancy us she answered, to all appearance like one who thought aloud.—­

“I can, at this moment, see the arch and roguish manner with which that wayward boy, who then had but eight years, over-reached the cunning of the mimic Neptune, and retaliated for his devices, by turning the laugh of all on board on his own head!”

“Was he but eight?” demanded a deep voice at her elbow.

“Eight in years, but maturer in artifice,” returned Mrs Wyllys, seeming to awake from a trance, as she turned her eyes full upon the face of the Rover.

“Well, well,” interrupted the captain of the forecastle who cared not to continue ’an inquiry in which his dreaded Commander saw fit to take a part, “I dare say it is all right.  I will look into my journal if I find it so, well—­if not, why, it’s only giving the ship a head-wind, until I’ve overhauled the Dane, and then it will be all in good time to receive the balance of the fee.”

So saying, the God hurried past the officers, and turned his attention to the marine guard, who had grouped themselves in a body, secretly aware of the necessity each man might be under of receiving support from his fellows, in so searching a scrutiny Perfectly familiar with the career each individual among them had run, in his present lawless profession and secretly apprehensive that his authority might be forced suddenly from him, the chief of the forecastle selected a raw landsman from among them, bidding his attendants to drag the victim forward, where he believed they might act the cruel revels he contemplated with less danger of interruption.  Already irritated by the laughs which had been created at their expense, and resolute to defend their comrade the marines resisted.  A long, clamorous, and angry dispute succeeded, during which each party maintained its right to pursue the course it had adopted.  From words the disputants were not long in passing to the signs of hostilities.  It was while the peace of the ship hung, as it were, suspended by a hair, that the General saw fit to express the disgust of such an outrage upon discipline, which had, throughout the whole scene, possessed his mind.