56 An Incident in the Life of a Rascal. 



" And now, what devil tempted you to play the runaway ?" swal- 

 lowing the term he had intended to use. " Was it for the wenches, or the 

 dicing table ? " 



" Spare me, most kind and worthy Sir, I intreat you ! To my father I 

 will make full confession of all my faults ; but he must be the first to know 

 the origin of my crimes." 



" Well, well, take another glass of wine ; you shall stay in my house 

 till we can find a passage for you. It was but last night my good ship 

 the Christine sailed for Batavia, and ' 



" Under favour," interrupted Yansen, " she has not yet left the harbour ; 

 the wind blew too fresh for her to venture on crossing the sand-banks 

 at night, and it is now only shifting round a point or two." 



" You are lucky, youngster 3" quickly added the merchant, " the 

 Christine has noble accommodations ; you shall aboard this evening. Put 

 these in the chest, good Yansen," handing him the bills, " and count me 

 out the two hundred louis d'or the boy is to have. Come, man ! finish 

 your meal, for I see," said he, regarding a vane on the gable of an opposite 

 house, " you have no time to lose." 



The meal was finished the money given the worthy merchant adding 

 as much good advice as the brief space would permit. The Briton was 

 profuse in his expressions of gratitude, promised amendment, and returned 

 the warm grasp of Von Kapell, unable to speak for his tears. Yansen 

 accompanied him on board, gave the owner's most particular charge to 

 the skipper, to pay his passenger every attention on the voyage. The ves^ 

 sel cleared the harbour was in a few hours out of sight and the next 

 morning, Mynheer Von Kapell wrote to London a full account of the 

 transaction, returning the bills he had so fortunately recovered. 



In less than a fortnight the following letter reached the good old 

 German : 



Sir, 



" We have to inform you, that we never lost the bills sent in your last 

 favour, every one of which is fabricated, and our acceptance forged. Our cashier 

 has no son, nor has he lost a wife. We are sincerely grieved that your friendly 

 feeling towards our house should have led you to listen to so palpable a cheat. 

 " We remain, with great respect, 

 " Yours, 



"BENNETT, FORD, & Co." 



" P.S. If you should ever hear again of the person you have, at your own expense, 

 sent to Batavia, we shall be glad to know." 



What can be said of the good old German's feelings, but that they may 

 " be more easily conceived than described ?" 



H. 



