was sunk in the depths of the sea!"

"I am sure I do, sir," replied I, glancing at Julia, who did not,
however, understand me. I had not fully passed out of my last night's
distress.

My sympathizing zeal soothed the old gentleman a little, and he said
more coolly, in an undertone: "Well, sir, you are well informed, no
doubt; tell me, in strict secrecy, sir, between you and me, do you--do
you place full credit--entire confidence in the intelligence in this
morning's paper?"

"Excuse me, sir; what paper do you allude to? Ah! the Argus, I see.
Certainly, sir; I have not the least doubt that it is perfectly
correct."

"No doubt, sir! Do you mean to insult me?--Julia, I told you so; he
says there is no doubt it is true. Tell me again there is some mistake,
will you?" The poor girl had been trying to soothe him with the constant
remark of uninformed people, that the newspapers are always in the
wrong. He turned from her, and rose from his chair in a positive rage.
She was half crying. I never saw her more distressed. What did all this
mean? Were one, two, or all of us crazy?

It soon appeared. After pacing the length of the room once or twice,
Wentworth came up to me again, and, attempting to appear cool, said
between his closed lips: "Do you say you have no doubt that Rio Janeiro
is strictly blockaded?"

"Not the slightest in the world," said I, trying to seem unconcerned.