"There you have the advantage over me. I have never had time to pay my devours to the ladies," said Mr. Mudge, with a piteous grimace. "Donna, I beg you to help yourself freely, and help the lads. I'll warrant they have had keen appetites after their long starvation. Have n't they?"

The Donna actually blushed with embarrassment at this singular question, and did not answer it.

The visit was an amusing one, and yet by no means agreeable, and they were glad when it was time to return home.

The day at length arrived for the sailing of the Sea-gull. The Don saw that every thing nice and comfortable was provided, by way of clothing and stores, for the voyage.

"And have you no parting request to make of me, my young friend?" inquired the Donna of Frank; affectionately taking his hand.

"I have two requests to make," replied he, 66 one is that Don Francesco and the Donna make a voyage to the United States, and allow my father the honor of receiving them at his house, and me the pleasure of showing them every thing worthy of observation in my native city."

"It would give us the greatest pleasure," warmly replied the Donna, "for we have a strong inducement to do so, now that we shall have a particular friend there. But is there not something that I can do for you?"

"That is my second request; pardon me if I am too bold. I should like to possess that miniature likeness of yourself," replied Frank, pointing to a beautiful painting on ivory suspended over the mantel-piece. "I shall never forget your kindness, but I may not be able to retain the exact impression of those features. Besides, it resembles my dear mother, and henceforth I shall love to think of you together."

The Donna handed him the miniature, without saying a word, but her eyes were full of tears.

Joseph had been practising, under Frank's instruction, a farewell speech in French, and really succeeded very well as he said,

"Don and Donna Rebeiro, I am exceedingly obliged to you for your hospitable politeness. My mother and sisters will bless you as long as they live, and I shall ever hold you in grateful remembrance. Adieu."

"Let me hear from you both, by the earliest possible opportunity," said the Don.

"By all means," said Frank; "my father will be most happy to discharge his indebtedness to you as soon as possible."

"No, my dear boy, not a word of that; I insist that you and your friend do me the favor never again to allude to this matter. On that condition, alone, I promise to return your visit at no distant day. Captain Harrison was quite indignant at the offer I made him with regard to possage-money, saying, 'Things had come to a pretty pass if a Yankee could not be as generous as a Portuguese. I want company in my cabin, and consider it a lucky chance to have two nice young fellows with me.' He is a frank, noblehearted man, and I am quite easy to intrust you to his care."

The parting words had all been said, and Joseph and Frank were once more upon the waters.

Captain Harrison was a jovial sailor, and yet a man of good morals, and good plain sense. Nothing in his deportment showed that he was doing a favor to his young passengers.

The voyage was rapid and free from storms. In twelve days after leaving Fayal, land was in sight.

66

My own, my native land!" exclaimed Frank, with heartfelt enthusiasm.

"I shall be sorry to part with you, Frank," said the captain. "If you ever go to sea again, ship with me. I should like to see if you could act the sailor as well as you do the gentleman. And you, Brandon, I've given you some tough lessons, hard enough to swallow, but I hope they will do you good. But on the whole you have made yourself agreeable; you do play a first rate game of chess."

"I trust I shall not be obliged to go to sea again; for my father, I am sure, will be unwilling to part with me," replied Frank; "but if I should, I prefer you for my captain to any man I know."

"And so should I," said Joseph. "I do not know how I shall ever repay you for your kind

ness."

"Poh! poh! don't say a word of that. I was provoked to think that furrener should offer me money for carrying home two shipwrecked fellow-countrymen. I am afraid he judges us all by that skinflint Mudge, but he is no more like a genuine Yankee than a potato is like a Connecticut pumpkin."

"Then you are a Connecticut man?" said Frank.

"That I am," replied the captain, "a true

born Yankee, from Stonington, and proud to acknowledge it all the world over. I have seen a great deal of this round earth, but I never saw any thing to equal old Connecticut. Has n't every body heard of her clocks, colleges, and common schools?

"And her wooden nutmegs," said Brandon. "There now, Mr. Brandon," replied the captain, "you are not so much of a gentleman as you might be. Frank Wood would have cut off his little finger before he would have said that. But there is no making a silken purse out of a pig's ear."

"I beg your pardon, captain," exclaimed Joseph. "I really did not think you could be so sensitive about the honor of old Connecticut."

"It's only because you are from the Bay State, which happens to be a very little larger. The pardon is granted; but, remember, never jest about a man's wife to her husband, nor about Connecticut to a Stonington man "; and the captain turned upon his heel and whistled Yankee Doodle.