Mammy had a sweet voice, and knew also how to modulate it, so softly, tenderly she sang: [Illustration: THE WIDOW'S LULLABY. O safely sleep, my bonnie, bonnie bairn, Rock'd on this breast o' mine, The heart that beats sae sair within Will not, will not awaken thine. Lie still, lie still, ye cankered thochts, That such late watches keep, And if ye break the ] [Illustration: mother's rest, Yet let, yet let my baby sleep. ] Sleep on, sleep on, my ae ae bairn, Nor look sae wae on me, As if ye felt the bitter tear That blin's thy mammie's e'e. Dry up, dry up, ye saut, saut tears, Lest on my bairn ye dreep, And break in silence, waefu' heart, And let my baby sleep. If you know it not, oh reader! take lute or viol and learn it. At the second verse Lotty had really dropped off to sleep; but as the last words died in cadence soft and sad away she started and shook back her yellow hair. Her open eyes had a strange wildness in them. 'Where--oh, where am I?' Then she smiled and seemed to recover consciousness wholly; but she squeezed mammy's arm against her chest with a vice-like grip as she gazed into her face. 'Mrs Captain,' she cried, 'mammy then, I've had such a strange, strange dream. I thought--but never mind, only tell me this: Did you ever sing that strange song to me before? I have never heard it, and yet, mammy, I _have_. How is that? Can you explain?' Mammy did not reply at once. 'I think--I--can--Lotty, child,' she answered slowly. Then more quickly, 'Oh yes, dear, when you have been asleep, I dare say I did sing it to myself, and you have half-heard me.' 'Yes, mammy, yes. That must be the explanation. But now, kiss me and put me to bye-bye. I want to dream that dream again.' CHAPTER XVI. SAFELY BACK TO ENGLAND. There are such things as happy ships still in the merchant service of this country, in which the crew are all, or nearly all, British men, and the captain and mate honest fellows and not tyrants. English or Scotch sailors work well for officers like these, and a bad word is never heard on the ship's decks. The _Nor'lan' Star_ had scarcely changed a hand of her crew for several years. They were like a family in fact. Every one knew his duty and did it. When any dispeace occurred the matter was brought before the captain--of course his word was law; and if there existed a malcontent on board he was very speedily got rid of, for a tainted sheep affects a flock.