or cottage which was unoccupied round the sea-coast, To which Davy replied, "No, your honour, none that would be fitting for such a gentleman as you to live in; there is, indeed, an old tumble-down sort of an house on the top of the cliff, that has had no mortal soul in it for this many a long year; and good reason why, because they say it was haunted by a spirit, which had no harm in it neither, for it was only a young lady, who sung sweetly, and then vanished away again. So you see, Sir, last year my master, who is a bold man, and who neither fears ghosts nor spirits of any kind whatever, hearing that the Cottage on the Cliff was to be pulled down and sold, goes to the owner, who has since died at sea, and purchased it; but he was bravely taken in, and swore outrageously, for it is all a ruin, Sir. It it as rotten as a pear; there is not a whole plank about it, and whoever goes into it is sure to have it tumble about his ears, so master never goes near it. Lord bless you, Sir, it is not strong enough to bear the body of a sea-gull !" "So much the better," cried Captain Singleton, "then the sea-gull and I must shortly be acquainted; or in other words, my honest friend, as this Cottage on the Cliff seems wholly useless to your master, I will make it useful to me; and will either become a tenant or a purchaser of it, just as he pleases." "You, Sir, live in the Cottage on the Cliff!” cried David, staring with the utmost astonishment, “you are jesting, Sir !” "Why, truly, friend, I do not look like a man who is much given to jesting," answered Captain Singleton, "I therefore wish to make proposals about this cottage to your master, which if he is inclined to accept, we will conclude the bargain immediately.” David very easily discovered that Captain Singleton was neither a jesting man, nor one to be jested with, and consequently set about obeying his orders with the utmost alacrity, by shewing him the shortest way he could think of to the habitation of the fisher. CHAPTER II. "Rather rejoicing to see another merry, CAPTAIN SINGLETON entered the apartment into which he was conducted by David, with the air of a man who, though he had been accustomed to ceremony, was not fond of it, and when he beheld the old fisherman seated at a table, plentifully supplied with his favourite geneva, and regaling himself with pipes and tobacco, he hesitated to advance, fearful of being considered an intrusive visitor; but never had he viewed a countenance more conciliating, or a set of features on which nature had stamped the seal of bravery and humanity so forcibly as on those of the hardy seaman, whom Captain Singleton immediately addressed on the subject of his visit, and offering some slight apology for the abruptness of his appearance there; to which Peter replied,— 66 Why, as to that, Sir, you are welcome once and welcome twice, as the saying is; as if the first place you are coming to serve me, for it will be doing me a service to take a tumble-down crazy house off my hands; and in the next place you are welcome because you are a stranger, and entitled to the rights of hospitality. I am an old seaman, Sir, whom Providence has protected from many a hard gale and rough sea, and though I don't like new faces, shiver my topsails, if I don't see that in your's I like better than ever I beheld in my life! Come, will you please to take some grog? but mayhap you may choose to have a morsel of something to eat first, and if that is the case, why, sit down and make yourself free and welcome. Davy, go and tell my girls to get the supper ready, and send it in immediately.” So rapid had been the speech of the fisher, that it was not till after David had departed that Captain Singleton could find means to edge in a word, and, although to professions, of almost every kind, he had an aversion, yet here was a cordial drop, so genuine and pure in its kind, that he had no power or inclination to refuse it, and without further ceremony drew a chair close to the table at which the fisher was sitting, and helped himself to a glass of water, which so exceedingly astonished Peter, that he exclaimed,— "Shiver my top-sails! that cock wont fight, Captain. I never drink water myself when I can get brandy, and don't like to see my friends do so, when C. to your master, which if he is inclined to accept, we will conclude the bargain immediately." David very easily discovered that Captain Singleton was neither a jesting man, nor one to be jested with, and consequently set about obeying his orders with the utmost alacrity, by shewing him the shortest way he could think of to the habitation of the fisher. CHAPTER II. "Rather rejoicing to see another merry, CAPTAIN SINGLETON entered the apartment into which he was conducted by David, with the air of a man who, though he had been accustomed to ceremony, was not fond of it, and when he beheld the old fisherman seated at a table, plentifully supplied with his favourite geneva, and regaling himself with pipes and tobacco, he hesitated to advance, fearful of being considered an intrusive visitor; but never had he viewed a countenance more conciliating, or a set of features on which nature had stamped the seal of bravery and humanity so forcibly as on those of the hardy they will talk to you; but the little devils are now gone to their roost, I suppose. Husseys, how I love them! they are a couple of the finest chicks that were ever hatched, Captain. There's my Jessy, with her laughing blue eyes, sets my anchor afloat whenever I am a cup too low; and there's my Olive, with her beautiful black ones, when I am apt to be a little boisterous and rough, tempers me to mildness by a tear, which, when I see it trickling down her fair face, makes me as quiet and as harmless as the dove; so, shiver my top-sails! they have me both ways; one takes me by storm, and the other subdues me by her softness, and makes me submit without any violence at all." t To all this eloquence, pronounced on the merits of his daughters, Captain Singleton advanced not a syllable; nay, at the very mention of the name of a female he seemed to start with involuntary horror, a cloud of sorrow passed over his brow, and a struggling sigh was checked in its progress by an expression of fixed and unchangeable hatred, which, though reason tempered somewhat of its asperity, had not yet faded on his recollection; but this emotion was not perceived by the fisher, or if perceived, attributed to any other cause than the existing one which Captain Singleton had exhibited; in a few minutes, however, he recovered his self-possession, and suddenly changed the channel of the fisher's favourite topic, by adverting to the business which brought him there, namely, to become a tenant or purchaser of the Cottage on the Cliff. "Are you willing that I should become a purchaser of this cottage?" added he, " or will you receive me |