man’s name that shot the captain of the N’Oreste, as they called her?” “What, that bad business?” said the other; “no, Mr Moore, I really don’t—I hope he’s far enough off by this time!” My breath came again at this, for it had just come into my mind that Finch, who was close by, had got hold of the name, although he fancied it mine. I was sauntering down the stair, thinking how much may hang at times on a man’s good memory, when I heard the first lieutenant say, “By the bye, though, now I recollect, wasn’t it Westwood?” “Yes, yes, Westwood it was!” said the other; then came an exclamation from Finch, and shortly after he and the first lieutenant stepped down together, talking privately of the matter, I suppose; to the cuddy, where I had gone myself. The lieutenant looked up at me seriously once or twice, then went on deck, and a few minutes afterwards the brig’s boat was pulling towards her again, while the passengers flocked below to breakfast. I saw the thing was settled; the mate could scarce keep in his triumph, as he eyed me betwixt surprise and dislike, though rather more respectfully than before. As for Westwood, he sat down with the rest, quite ignorant of what had turned up; notwithstanding he threw an uneasy look or two through the cuddy port at the brig, still curveting to windward of us, with her mainyard aback: for my part, I made up my mind, in the meanwhile, to bear the brunt of it. ’Twas no matter to me _now_ where I went; whereas, with Westwood, it was but a toss-up betwixt a rope and a prison, if they sent him back to England. No fear of _my_ being tried in his place, of course; but if there had been, why, to get away both from him and _her_, I’d have run the chance! There was a bitter sort of a pleasure, even, in the thought of taking one’s-self out of the way—to some purpose, too, if I saved a fellow like my old schoolmate from a court-martial sentence, and a man far worthier to win the heart of such a creature than myself; while the worst of it was, I was afraid I’d have come to hate Tom Westwood, if we had staid near each other much longer. Accordingly, I no sooner heard the dip of the gig’s oars coming alongside again, than one of the stewards brought me a quiet message from Mr Finch, that he wanted to see me on deck; upon which I rose off my chair just as quietly, and walked up the companion. The fact was—as the fellow could scarce have ventured to look his passengers in the face again after a low piece of work like this—’twas his cue to keep all underhand, and probably lay it to the score of my actions aboard, or something; however, he couldn’t throw any dust of the kind in the second lieutenant’s eyes, who gave him a cold glance as he stepped on deck, and, picking me out at once where I stood, inquired if I were the person. The first mate nodded, whereupon the brig’s officer walked towards me, with a gentlemanly enough bow, and, “I regret to have to state, sir,” said he, “that Captain Wallis desires to