“Dear me!” ejaculated Jane; “I must be gone, I am in such déshabille.” “Stay where you are,” said the Baronet, sharply; he preferred not being alone. “It is only that horrid Irishman we have been talking of.” It was too late to retreat, for a firm, active step was heard without; the next moment Captain O’Loughlin entered the room, in his easy off-hand, but gentlemanly manner. He paused on seeing Miss Jane Etherton, but Sir Howard, in a cold, constrained manner, said: “My sister, Captain O’Loughlin.” The sailor bowed, and taking a chair, said: “It is some years, Sir Howard, since we parted, and I must candidly say, I did not expect that we should meet again; but having a strong desire to be of service to a most amiable young lady, I was prevailed upon to wait upon you. Therefore, at the request of Miss Arden, whose generous nature shrinks from the prospect of law proceedings between near relations, and that her name should come before the public on a question of birth——” “I confess,” interrupted the Baronet, “I do not quite understand you, Captain O’Loughlin; I have no near relations beyond my own family that I know of.” “A very few words more,” observed O’Loughlin, haughtily, “will explain my meaning. Miss Arden, or rather Etherton, as she is entitled to bear that name, requests me to say that—provided there is no opposition to her claims, on your part, or to her assuming the rightful name, and no doubts raised about her birth—she is quite willing to resign all claims to her portion of the Etherton property you now hold.” “In other words, Captain O’Loughlin,” interrupted the Baronet, in a cutting tone, “you offer me a bribe to acknowledge an impostor as my cousin?” The eyes of the Irishman flashed dangerously, as the Baronet, who saw the coming storm, hastened to add: “Such may, I say, be the case; for who can tell? It would be against my conscience.” “Oh! to the—then,” muttered O’Loughlin; seeing a lady present, he merely said, “Oh, do not distress your conscience, Sir Howard. When we two served on board the old Victory, you were not much troubled with that scarce commodity. Now——” “I will thank you, Captain O’Loughlin,” interrupted Sir Howard, with a flush upon his cheek, rivalling the hue on the nose of his astonished sister, “to confine yourself to the object of your visit. All I have to say is, that I will never acknowledge the young person you speak of as relative of mine, till the very fullest proofs of her birth are furnished. There are no proofs of Mr. Granby Arden having contracted marriage with any lady; therefore, once for all, I tell you, I shall oppose the person calling herself Mabel Arden, claiming the name of Etherton, to the full extent of my power.”