that he was in the presence of an ambitious rival, who would go to any
length to gain his purpose.

The most careful and disinterested observer could not have discovered
any preference on the part of Morgianna. When they came to the table,
she had the lieutenant on one side and Fernando on the other. The old
captain at the head engrossed much of Lieutenant Matson's time talking
about his father, greatly to the annoyance of the officer. When Matson
came to take his seat at the table, Terrence, who sat on the opposite
side of the lieutenant, whispered:

"Aisy!"

The lieutenant bit his lips and his face flushed angrily, while Sukey,
who sat on the opposite side of the Irishman, snickered, and Morgianna
bit her pretty lip most cruelly in trying to conceal the merriment which
her roguish eyes expressed.

This was the only break made by the Irishman that evening. He played his
part with consummate grace and had such a way of winning the favor of
people, that, before the evening was over, the Englishman actually came
to like him. He praised the country about Mariana, and talked of the
harbors and islands, declaring he knew them all from Duck Island to the
Chesapeake. He found Lieutenant Matson somewhat of a sport, and soon
interested him in stories of duck shooting, all of which were inventions
of his own ingenious brain. Miss Morgianna praised the wild ducks of
Maryland and thought their flesh equal to English Capons. The
lieutenant, in his gallantry, vowed she should have half a dozen brace
of fowls before he left, and Terrence volunteered to assist him.