A fierce war began to rage within me between principle and feeling, interest and duty, and all the tender sentiments of my nature. A less high-minded person would have thrown all her weight into the scale, and might have made me false to the sovereign in whose service I was engaged; but then I flattered myself that a girl of her exalted principles would not have so speedily won my affections. [See Note 1.] Now the murder is out; in plain English, I was head over ears in love, and it was a toss up whether I should, for the sake of Madeline Carlyon, desert my colours, go over and join the Americans, and get a captain's commission, or remain true to my king and run the chance of losing her. It puts me into a fever even now, to think of all the feelings which came bubbling up in my bosom, and all the ideas which came rushing into my brain, and the pulling and hauling and tugging at my heart. Never had I been so racked and tormented, tossed to and fro, kicked here and there, up and down. At length my good angel came to my assistance. "Do your duty like a man," he whispered. "Don't think of consequences, what you would like or what you wouldn't like. Find out what is right, and do that." I had turned in, and, with a mind much calmed, fell asleep. "There is a strange sail on our weather-quarter, sir," said Tom Rockets, rousing me up. "Grampus don't like her looks." Nor did I, when a moment afterwards I stood on deck and made her out through the pale light of a grey cold November morning. "Make all sail!" I sung out. "If she is an enemy, the sooner we are out of the way the better." It was blowing fresh, but I cracked on the little schooner as much as she could carry, and away we went staggering under it with the wind on our larboard quarter. The stranger, apparently, had not made us out, and I was in hopes that we might escape observation. The increased motion, I suppose, awoke the ladies, and to my surprise before long they came on deck. "What is the matter, Mr Hurry?" asked Mrs Tarleton. "It appeared in the cabin as if there was a fearful gale blowing." "You see that the weather is not so very bad," I answered evasively, "and I am naturally anxious on your account to reach port." I never could act the hypocrite, and the lady was not satisfied. As her quick-sighted eye ranged round the horizon she caught sight of the stranger. "What is that vessel out there?" she asked. "That I cannot exactly say, madam," I answered. "She may be a friend or she may be a foe. Under present circumstances I think it best to avoid her." "If she is an American vessel her captain would never think of detaining you; and if she is English, you at all events need not fear her," she replied quickly. "I would rather not run the risk of detention," said I. "It is possible, should she be an American vessel, that her people may not believe our story."