He went out. The Post-office was near at hand; he reached it, and had just received a packet of letters and papers, when the sound of the approaching boat warned him to hurry on. Giving orders to a porter to carry their baggage on board, he hurried in, took Rosalia under his arm, hastened down to the beach, went on board, and the next moment they were carried rapidly down the river. Rosalia went into the ladies’ cabin to put off her bonnet, and Raymond retired to read his letters. One letter fixed his attention; it was directed in a well known hand, and postmarked Norfolk; he walked up and down the guards of the boat buried in deep thought; at length he went to the door of the ladies’ cabin, and calling the stewardess, told her to request Miss Aguilar to throw on her shawl and come up. Rosalia soon appeared at the head of the gangway. He offered her his arm and carried her up to the hurricane deck, that was at this hour vacant; they sat down on one of the rude benches (steamboats were not the floating palaces _then_ that they are _now_), the sun was just rising, and lighting up into flashing splendor the gorgeous glories of the landscape, the river flowed like liquid gold between high banks of agate and of emerald; but it was not upon the magnificent river scenery that he looked. “Rosalia, I have a letter here from Gusty May.” She changed color. “His ship, or rather Captain Wilde’s ship, has been in an engagement!” “Oh, my God!” “Hush—all your friends are safe.” “But, oh! _somebody’s_ friends are killed, or wounded!” “Probably, my sweet girl; but they have been in an engagement and taken a prize—captured a slave ship!” “Oh, sweet Providence! Sophie exposed in a battle with a pirate!” “But, my gentle girl, Sophie is _well_—but they have captured a prize, and Gusty May has been intrusted with the command of the vessel, and has brought it home—that is, to Norfolk!” “To Norfolk! Gusty now in Norfolk!” exclaimed Rosalia, growing pale. “Yes; and he writes that just as soon as he can obtain leave of absence, he is coming to see you”— Rosalia trembled so much that he had to pass his arm around her waist to keep her in her seat. “He says that he intends to call at Churchill’s Point to see his mother on his way to see us”— Rosalia seemed upon the verge of a swoon; he tightened his hold around her waist and went on speaking—