“For little Mabel Arden’s sake, my Lord, infinitely. Nevertheless, I feel exceedingly grateful to Captain Sir Sidney Smith for his offers of service. He said something to me yesterday of this, and, not knowing your Lordship’s generous intentions, I expressed myself delighted with the promotion he promised me.” “Well, your absence will only be for the voyage,” said Lord Hood; “you will rejoin this ship by the first vessel coming out, as will also Lieutenant O’Loughlin.” After a few more observations and directions from the Admiral, William Thornton retired, greatly delighted, and with permission to proceed to the Robust, to impart the intelligence he had received to Madame Volney and Mabel Arden. Whilst William Thornton was paying his visit on board the Robust, Master Howard Etherton was extremely busy writing a long letter home to go along with the Admiral’s dispatches to England. As this letter reached England some time before the arrival of Mabel Arden, owing to circumstances that will be hereafter explained, we must request our readers to follow us to the shores of England, in order that we may introduce to their notice the family of Master Howard Etherton, as they will figure in this narrative rather prominently. Howard Etherton’s father, before he succeeded to the baronetcy and estates of the Ethertons, was a Captain Arden. He was a younger brother, his elder brother dying abroad, it was supposed, without heirs; indeed, it was not generally known that he was ever married. Godfrey Arden, the younger brother, therefore, as next heir, took possession of the estates. Etherton Manor was a very fine mansion, situated in a richly wooded and much-admired part of Hampshire, a few miles from Hurst Castle, and commanding an extensive view not only over the estuary of Southampton water, but also over the narrow sea dividing England from its garden—the Isle of Wight. At this period of our story Sir Godfrey Etherton was in his fiftieth year; he had two sons and seven daughters; his lady was some two or three years his junior. She was the only daughter of a tolerably rich slop-seller in Portsmouth. When Sir Godfrey married her, he was only a poor lieutenant in the navy, who was quite willing to overlook his wife’s want of birth in consideration of five thousand pounds hard cash, which he received with her. At that time there was a very remote chance indeed of the poor lieutenant succeeding to the Etherton estates. When Mrs. Arden became Lady Etherton she was exceedingly anxious to forget that her father, at this period gathered to his fathers, was ever called a slop-seller. All mention of her parents and relatives was forbidden. In person she was short and robust; she dressed richly and gaudily, but without the slightest taste, notwithstanding all the efforts of her well-educated but haughty and imperious daughters.