Chapter 25

O I hae scarce to lay me on,
If kingly fields were ance my ain;
Wi' the moor-cock on the mountain-bree,
But hardship na'er can daunton me.

Scottish Song.

There was an air of cool deliberation about Lord Harry Dermond, which
satisfied me I should have to pass through a trying ordeal; and I prepared
myself for the occasion. Nothing was said until all three of us were in
the after-cabin, when Clements and his visiter took seats on the sofa, and
a motion was made to me to occupy a chair. Then Lord Harry Dermond
commenced the discourse, in a manner more serious than I could
have wished.

"Mr. Wallingford," he said, "there is little need of preliminaries between
you and me. I recollected your ship, when the Black Prince and Speedy were
in the act of closing with the Frenchmen, three months since; and I need
scarcely say that the manner in which she got back to the place where I
then saw her, requires an explanation at your hands."

"It shall be given to you, my lord. Believing you had no right to send in
the Dawn, and knowing that a detention of any length would prove my ruin,
I regained possession of my own by the best means that offered."

"This is at least frank, sir. You mean to be understood that you rose on
my people in the night, murdered them, and that you subsequently lost your
vessel from a want of force to take care of her."

"This is partly true, and partly a mistake. I certainly should not have
lost my ship had I been as strong-handed in the gale in which she was
destroyed, as she was the day she left home: and she would have been as
strong-handed in that gale, had we never fallen in with the Speedy."

"Which is an indirect manner of saying that the wreck was owing to us?"

"I shall very directly say, that I think it was; though by indirect
means."

"Well, sir, on that point it is not probable we shall ever agree. You
cannot suppose that the servants of the king of Great Britain will submit
to your American mode of construing public law; but will easily understand
that we leave such matters to our own admiralty judges. It is a matter of
more moment to me, just now, to ascertain what has become of the officers
and men that were put in charge of your ship. I saw the vessel, some time
after I put Mr. Sennit and his party on board you, in your possession,
(that we ascertained by means of our glasses;) and you now admit that you
retook your vessel from these men. What has become of the prize-crew?"

I briefly related the manner in which we had regained the possession of
the Dawn. The two English officers listened attentively, and I could
discern a smile of incredulity on the