"Were you ever wounded, admiral?" questioned the young sailor, when he had finished his story. "Never, by God's providence," said the old man; "though I came near to it once." "And how was that, sir?" "Well, sir, when the old _Constitution_ took the _Cyane_ and the _Levant_, a shot from the _Cyane_ struck the hilt of my sword, carried it away, and slewed me about so that I thought for a moment that I had been hit in the side. It was a Spanish blade, and I prized it highly. I was lucky enough to give some succor to a Spanish brig in distress down in the West Indies on a certain occasion, years before, and His Most Catholic Majesty of Spain was pleased to present me with a sword for it, a beautiful Toledo blade, the finest sword I ever saw. It was richly hilted and scabbarded, as became such a weapon, and I always wore it in action. Of course, the hilt was ruined by the shot, and the armorer of the _Constitution_ made a rude guard out of a piece of iron he took from the _Levant_ after she struck, to replace the broken hilt, and I've never cared to change it since." "I saw it this morning in Miss Emily's room," said Revere. "I took the liberty of examining it, and I was struck by the beauty of the blade and the roughness of the hilt. I quite agree with you, sir. I should not have it changed for anything." "I call it the sword of the _Constitution_," said Emily. "How comes it in your room, may I ask, Miss Emily?" "Grandfather gave it to me. I am the only son of the house, you see," she continued with a melancholy sigh. "I would that I had been a man." "That is a wish in which I cannot join you," said the young officer, quickly. "I think it's a pity," responded the girl, "that so great and gallant a sailor as my grandfather should leave no one to bear his name." "My dear young lady, his name is borne in our history and upon our hearts," answered Revere, quickly. "The world will never forget '_Old Ironsides_' and her last great fighting captain. The new navy is the child of the old, and, in a certain sense, we all feel the obligations of such distinguished ancestry. As for me, that I have been permitted to meet you, sir," he said, turning to the admiral, "in this intimate and familiar way, is one of the proudest moments of my life." "Is it so?" said the old man, simply; "we only did our duty then, just as you are doing it now. Dave Farragut, now, he was trained in our school----" "And we are trained in his school; so you see here is a connection. Some day we may show what we have learned from him, as he showed what he had learned from you." "I doubt it not, young sir, I doubt it not; and while I have no sons or grandsons to bear my name, yet Emily is a good child. No one could wish for a better daughter." "Of that I am quite sure," interrupted the lieutenant, spontaneously.