Part 2 (1/2)

”'An please your Majesty, I have a post of 80 pounds a year, in which I do my duty as cheerfully as I would were it 4000 pounds a year,'

answered my father

”'Alack, alack! that an old and faithful friend should have been so neglected,' said the King 'You ought to have had one of the best posts I have it in my power to confer, for you lost not only your own property, but your brave brother lost his life, as I have heard, with e,' he said, turning to one of the officers in attendance, 'bring Colonel Benbow to me to-morrow, and ill see what office we can best bestow on him I will provide for hi passed on, ratitude for the King's intended goodness, sank down on a bench, where he sat motionless Suddenly a pallor was seen to overspread his countenance, and he would have fallen forward had not so by hurried to support him;--but he was past hu washad left the Tower he had breathed his last It was a sad day toher that our father died froraciously bestow the favour he had intended for hie came from his Majesty to inquire why hknow of our father's death, and that his wife and family were almost destitute no notice was taken, and my mother had to depend on such support as I and her other children could give her; but do all we could, it was only sufficient to keep her fro Well may I say, 'Put not your trust in princes'

”I need not trouble you, fair ladies and gentlereat favour with Captain Downing, hom I sailed for many years as his chief officer, and on his death, which occurred at sea, he left me his share in the _Rainbow_, and other property As she was getting old and unfit for long voyages, I sold her and built the _Benbow_ frigate, which shi+p several of my former crew joined as soon as she was ready for sea Thus, you see, h I have risen to independence by just sticking to my duty I do not say that I have not met with adventures, but I will occupy no er and Stephen, especially the for to the account Captain Benbow gave of hiht to sail with you, if er

”If there were time, I should be happy to take you on board my shi+p and teach you to becoain as soon as the tide changes, for I am bound up to the further end of the Mediterranean, and you require certain suits of clothing and other articles which cannot be procured in ainto Plyer, who looked ether as I require, for I care not much what I wear”

”But you have not yet obtained your father's sanction to your going, young gentleive his permission that I offered to receive you on board my shi+p,” said the Captain

”Thank you heartily, Captain Benbow,” said Mr Willoughby ”Froh my friend Handsob here, there is no ly confidea sailor; but, as you observe, he requires suitable clothing, and that cannot be procured forthwith; still, if you will giveto take hie, I will send him to the port at which your shi+p lies without fail”

”I will do that,” said the Captain--”So, Master Roger, you may look upon yourself as er appeared o off at once

”Cheer up, ood-huive notice of my arrival to your father” The Captain evidently took coerness, for he added, ”To show my readiness to take you, if your friends will undertake to collect such needful articles as you s up, which may not be for several hours to co at his aunt and Mistress Alice, and then at his father and the Colonel, as ives you leave, I will not say you nay,” observed the Colonel ”But I know nothing of the required preparations Madam Pauline and Alice had better say what they and the maidens in the house can do in the course of a few hours”

Roger turned inquiringly towards theh to take you, ill do our best to get the things you require ready,” said Madaer, but if he will accept soet it for hih, I confess”

”Thank you, thank you, Stephen,” cried Roger, grasping his friend's hand ”I know that you are sorry to part froo to sea, andthus settled, Madaer's scanty wardrobe, and to consider hoith the materials in the house they couldhis horse, rode away for Langton, and Roger hi lu a chest in which his property ht be stowed He soon found one of oak, claer and heavier than was desirable, ht, serve the purpose required Their next business was to collect the treasures, including a feell-thuer wished to take with him, and which he at once placed in the bottom of the chest

The rest of the party re chiefly with Captain Benbohom he looked upon as an old friend

”You will reht, I hope,” said the Colonel, ”and youwith my nephew at as early an hour as you desire I suspect that the females of the family will take but few hours of rest, as their needles will be busy during the night in preparing the young felloardrobe”

”Thank you for the offer, Colonel, but I have made a rule, from which I never depart, always to sleep on board my shi+p,” answered the Captain

”I know not what ht, and I ahby was engaged in earnest conversation with Master Handsob, theshould reach the ears of the Colonel They spoke of the Duke of Monmouth, Lord Shaftesbury, and many other persons Master Handsob appeared to be very anxious to ascertain the political opinions of the landowners and other gentlehbouring counties of Wilts and Devon It ht have been suspected that the cloth-merchant had other objects in view besides those connected with his mercantile pursuits

In spite of the exertions able Madaer's wardrobe was not co before Stephen Battisob returned with the bundle of clothing which he had generously devoted to the use of his friend Captain Benbow had risen fro wished the Colonel and the rest of the party good-bye, was prepared to set out on his return to his shi+p Stephen and Roger insisted on accolad of their society, as he confessed that hehis way alone His boat aiting for him at the beach

”You will coht, my lad,” he said, as he stepped on board, ”and I will send a boat on shore for you”

”No fear, sir, about er, and his heart bounded as he thought that in a few hours more he should be on board the stout shi+p which rode at anchor out in the bay He and Stephen stood on the beach watching the boat till she was lost to sight in the fast increasing glooh the calun to break with considerablyS in and burst with a dull splash on the sand, then rushed up in a sheet of snowy foam, which had scarcely disappeared before another took its place

”I cannot quite make it out,” observed Stephen ”It seems to me that the sky is unusually dark away to the south and south-west; to say the truth, it looks to me as if there was a bank of dark clouds out there”