Since the visitors declined going into the house, Barbara ran in to bring out chairs for them. While she was gone, Madame, looking around upon the desolate scene, and contrasting it mentally with the lovely island they had that morning left, exclaimed— “What a ruinous, dilapidated old place! How can the owner allow a fine property like this to go to ruin?” “Oh! I don’t know! My good friend, Captain Brande, is fit for nothing but the waters! he nor his race! He belongs to that class of old sea dogs that have infested these coasts ever since their first settlement, and before! He married the heiress of all this property—Barbara’s mother; she died, leaving him with Babby and her three little brothers. Babby has been a housekeeper for the father, and a mother for the children, which is as much as can be expected of her, poor child! But you see how the skipper has allowed the house to go to wreck and ruin.” “But do you tell me”—asked Madame—“do you mean to say that this young maiden stays here with these children day and night, without protection, in this most lonely and desolate of places?” “Not quite; she has two faithful negro servants, an old married pair, whom she calls Neptune and Amphitrite. And then, those dogs! Either of those beasts could spring at a strong man’s throat and drag him to the earth!” “And what is that about the smuggling?” “Why, my little Barbara takes after her salt-water progenitors, who, with charity let it be said, were all free-traders, except those who were pirates!” “Ugh! and this young creature resembles them!” said Madame, in holy horror. “I cannot say that she does in the matter of their piratical propensities;—but as for their buccaniering proclivities,—I tell you this young thing has such a keen relish for free-booting, that a smuggled aloe would seem sweeter to her taste than the sweetest orange that had paid duty! The little villain! she whispered me just now, that she had a hundred canisters of West India sweetmeats, that were not one of them flavored with custom-house! The little scamp! how she loves the sea besides! Just to see her black eyes kindle when she speaks of a ship! If she were a boy, she would run away and go to sea; being a girl, with her propensities and in her circumstances, I don’t know what will become of her! Hush! don’t reply, here she is.” Barbara came out, bringing two chairs, which she placed for her visitors. Then, while they seated themselves, she ran away again, and returned, bringing a little table, which she set before them, and covered with a white cloth. And then, in two or three successive flittings into the house, she brought out the whitest bread and freshest butter, the clearest guava jelly, and the most fragrant pineapple preserves; and lastly, a bottle of wine, that Monsieur Henri lifted up and gazed upon in consternation, exclaiming, when he had somewhat recovered his suspended breath—