honest men, and kindness is an " open sesame"
to most hearts. As Jeremiah remarked, " Mr.
Mordant opened like a bud in the sunshine."
One day I invited him to go on deck with me.
"I shall meet that slimy reptile, sir, and I would
a heap sooner meet Old Nick, sir."

"And who may the reptile be?" I asked,
knowing very well.

"That spy, Avery, sir."

"And what harm can he do you?"

"Harm enough, if he heard me speak English,
sir."

"Mr. Mordant, I am your friend."

"I know it, sir. I am under a cloud now,
sir, like my country; but the sun will shine
again, in this world or another. I have been to
London, sir, in the service of my country—on
my own hook, you will take notice, sir. I was
not sent by any man, or by any body of men. I
went on my own hook, sir, and I return a
disappointed man. I thought the English
would help us, sir, for their own sake. I
thought that cotton was king. I went, sir,
to offer my editorial services to the London
Times. I wrote, and made them an offer. I
would have struck blows, sir, that would have
told, sir. I offered my service without fee or
reward. My letter was not answered, sir. Then
I wrote an editorial. It was not noticed, sir.
I waited a month; would you believe that in all
that time they did not answer my letter, and
took no notice of my article? Would you
believe it, sir?"

"I have no difficulty in believing your statement,
Mr. Mordant; not the least."

"Well, sir. I made up my mind from that,
and I am on my way home. The sword is my
weapon now. I repudiate the pen, sir; and I
renounce England, sir."

"Do you hold anger against England on
account of the Times, Mr. Mordant?"

"Well, sir, I feel mighty bad all round; I'm
so riled. I can hardly tell what hurts me worst,
sir. I'm riled all through, and I'm afraid I'll
have a mighty hard chance to settle, sir."

I respected Mr. Mordant's despondency, and
left him, thinking I would pursue my acquaintance
with Mrs. Pendleton, my " pink and white"
countrywoman, and her little babies. I found her
listening earnestly to a venerable gentleman
whom I had often noticed. He was said to be
Bishop of Trinidad. He was in a green old age,
being about sixty. His white hair, his cheerful
rosy face and rotund person, his deep musical
voice, all were impressive and delightful. He
did not look less a lord, spiritual or temporal,
with Mrs. Pendleton's two children, one on
each knee. As I have said, I was told that he
was Bishop of Trinidad, but I had no very clear
idea about his see. He was clearly worthy to
be a bishop, or anything else, in the opinion of
those about him. Jeremiah treated him with
as much reverence as if he had been a Roman
Catholic bishop, and he a humble son of that
communion. Mr. Mordant bowed low, and did
not recover his perpendicular gracefully, whenever
he met the bishop. The perfect ease of this
elegant prelate contrasted strongly with the
home-made and too-careful address of Mr.
Mordant. The two were as different as a bee-sting and
a file, and yet it turned out that they were born
in the same State. They were both Southern
men. But I am telling my story in advance.

When I was again in my state-room, where
Mr. Mordant was still gloomily reflecting on the
apathy of England and his neglect by the Times,
Jeremiah came in quickly and closed the
door. Then he sat down and smothered his face
in his hands. Presently he raised his head like
a soldier, and courage illumined his countenance.
His first remark was respecting a silk purse, and
the ear of a certain quadruped. Then he asserted
that no amount of praying would make rotten
tow-ropes into good sound flax cables.

"You speak truth, Mr. Grierson, but where
is the pertinence? Please explain."

"That Avery is a rotten rope, every fibre of
him. He'll break in anybody's hands that tries
to use him. His wife is a vulgar vixen. He
has been buzzing about the bishop, but he'll take
nothing by that motion. She has been pumping
Bridget, Mrs. Pendleton's Irish nursemaid."

"Mr. Grierson, this ship is full of mysteries.
You believe in the Union, and you help the
other side; Mr. Mordant believes in himself
and the South, and hates the Union with all his
might; and you and he are friends. He
renounces and denounces England and the Times,
and he and I are friends. The bishop is a gentleman;
but is there a Church of England see on
the island of Trinidad?"

"Bishop Monkton is a gulorious man," said
Jeremiah, not noticing my question; and
Mordant echoed, as if on his knees, "A glorious
man!"

I turned to Mr. Grierson. He was not
disposed to explain; but Mordant looked me full
in the face, with the frank expression of perfect
trust.

"That noble gentleman is a Southern senator,
and no bishop at all, sir."

"Your confidence in me is not misplaced, Mr.
Mordant."

"I am not the fool to misplace my confidence,
if I misplace myself, sir," he said.

"We must play our cards skilfully, I tell
you, now," said Jeremiah, "for Avery means
mischief. I can throttle him, if the worst comes
to the worst; I mean, I can report his manners
and customs to head-quarters, but I don't want
to do it. I have given him a touch of my
quality. He knows who I am, which was more
than he or his wife guessed when I came on
board. He knew there was such a fellow as
Jeremiah Grierson, but I reckon he had not the
ghost of a notion that I should turn up in this
ship. Didn't he shake in his shoes when I
introduced myself! I reckon his wife won't
ask again what part of New Yawk I live in?
She may get safe back to her ginger-beer shop
in Jersey City, but her chance is not first-rate,
in my opinion. Brown earthen pots come to
pieces when they are mixed up with potash
kettles in a tremenjus muss. At present, the