not followed. There I hoped to see him fall; but he was strangely
preserved."

"You are a singular girl, Maud," replied the officer. "Take this and
wear it for my sake," he added, unloosing a fine gold chain from his
watch and tossing it around her neck, "and be punctual at that spot
to-night after the last ray of twilight."

"I will," answered the Quadroon, as she regarded the fine workmanship of
the chain for a moment with idle and childlike pleasure, then turning
from the spot, they both returned, though by different paths, from the
jungle towards the dwelling of her father.

Captain Bramble dined with Don Leonardo that day, and his good spirits
and pleasant converse were afterwards the subject of comment, exhibiting
him in a fair more favorable light than he had appeared in since his
arrival at the factory. Maud, too, either for sake of disguise, or
because the knowledge of her plan imparted exhilaration of spirits to
her, was more agreeable, seemingly frank and friendly than she had been
for many a long day, if we except the day before the late attack of the
negroes upon the house, when the same treacherous assumption of
cheerfulness and satisfaction with all parties was similarly assumed.

Captain Ratlin, on his part, was ever the same; he found that he must
wait some weeks even yet before he could prosecute the purpose of his
voyage, and indeed he seemed to have lost all interest in it. His
thoughts were full of too pure an object to permit him to participate to
any extent in so questionable a business. Gladly would he at any moment
have thrown up his charge of the "Sea Witch;" and he had indeed promised
Miss Huntington that for her sake, and in honor of her friendship (for