"You come with a request from his Majesty, I understand, to beg me to interfere in the case of one of the mutineers of the Nore. His Majesty's commands have always great influence with me; at the same time, you must understand that the matter is one of a most serious character. A great many men have been pardoned who really took a part in the mutiny by supporting their leaders. If the leaders themselves are pardoned, the men will think that, after all, the crime they committed was a slight one," he observed, in a tone of voice which made Mabel's heart sink within her. "But, oh! sir," she exclaimed, pressing her hands before her in a pleading attitude, "but this young man, Andrew Brown, for by that name he is known, was not guilty of any evil intentions." Mabel repeated the statement she had already made to the King. "You plead his cause earnestly young lady," said the minister, "and right well, too. Let me see these witnesses, and if they give a satisfactory statement, I will recommend the young man as a fit subject for his Majesty's clemency. I cannot reverse the judgment of the court, you must remember. If that condemned him, condemned he must be, but his Majesty can exert his prerogative of mercy, and both save his life and obtain his release." "Oh! thank you, sir, thank you," exclaimed Mabel, expressing by her looks more than by her words what she felt. The minister rang the bell, and ordered the two seamen to be admitted. In a short time there was a scuffling outside. The door opened, and Jacob Tuttle and Jack Veal appeared, one urging on the other, as if neither liked to be the first to enter. They held their hats in their hands, pulling away at their locks as they would have done addressing an officer on the quarter-deck. Lady Hester looked on with an amused countenance as the minister cross-questioned them as to the part their shipmate had taken in the mutiny. "He took no part at all, please you, sir, for I don't call writing letters with a pistol held at a man's head taking part in the mutiny, and I know for certain that he hated it as much as any one. Besides, sir, when we proposed striking the red flag, and carrying the ship up the river, he heartily joined the loyal part of the crew, and a pretty severe tussle we had, too, before we got possession of the ship and handed it over to the officers." Jack Veal corroborated what Jacob had said, and Mr. Pitt drew forth a considerable amount of further evidence which satisfied him that if these witnesses spoke the truth, Andrew Brown's guilt was not of a nature to merit death. At last he turned to Mabel.