Waterbury evening Democrat., 1892-12-05
Roy, The'Royalist.
'ggr BY WILLIAM wEsrALL.


 he brought with him casllet which, judging from the feel of it (my eyes be- ing still bandaged), was of metal, prob ably silver.
 "This," he said, as he put it into my hands, "is a present for your future wife. Tell her that it is from an old man whose life you once saved, and who loves you as his own son."
 The day after (the doctor having pro- nounccd me fit to he rcmoved) was taken on board the Kangaroo, and we set sail for England. There were tears in Djczzar's eyes as he bade me farewell; he kissed me with great affection on both checks, and gave me as n souvenir fine Damascus sword, the hilt of which was set with precious stones, a weapon which was reputed to have be- longcd to Sultan Saladin.
 CHAPTER KY.
 On the voyage home my time was about equally divided between sleeping and thinking. As could neither walk nor use my eyes, there was nothing else for mo to do. thought almost as much in those thirty-tivo days as I had thought in the whole of my previous lifc-CNcCpt on sCamanship and the like Hitherto had never known more than a passing care, never had a serious ill ness or a disabling wound, and my pro- fCsSiunal advancement had been so rapid that was rightly regarded as one of the most promising officers of the royal navy.
 But tho perfidy and brutality of namelcss Turk had wrought woeful change in my prospects. At the best, should be unfit for duty for more thana twclvrmonth, and Blake made no secret | of his opinion that 1 should be short sighted as long as lived. Now, man may be short of an arm, or a leg, or an ryr or all three, and still be able to | fight and sail q ship; but he must not be purblind. A dim-sightcd, spectacled | sailor is as impossible as q tonguc-tied orator or timbcr-toed dancing master. If Blallr's proGnosis proved true, my l career as a sailor would be at an end; and had looked forward to being an admiral and coI2manding q fleet in general action! It was bitter disap- | pointmcnt, rendered tolcrable only by my escape from greater calamity of total blindness.
 And there was another consideration: I should be laid on the shelf; and, though half pay may be enough for one, | it is not enough for two-or more; and l meant to marry Antoinctte, como what might Moreover, I was too rest | less and energetic to be an iller and it was not in me to become either lawyer | or a merchant. I must lead an active | opcn-air life either on land or sea. And then thought of Nirginia-the | land of my birth-which, though l re- | mcmbcrcd it only vaguely and all my l associations were English, ardcntly de- | sired to revisit. So, felt sure, did my l father. Not that he dislilled England, | but as the owner of Roy court and | head of one of the first families he had been q man of importance and consider ation, while in England he was mo- | body, lost in the crowd, and his means were so straitcncd that he had the ut most difficulty in living as a gentleman 1 and making both ends meet. Mean while. the old homestead was falling | into ruin and the estate out of cultiva- | ton. was not even sure that it really | belonged to my father. l had heard l something about cncumhrances, con fscation. and unpaid taxes. Be that | as it might. it would take a lot of money to rebuild the house, buy hands. set the plantation going again, and l VI my rrauGrathrr: and neither my father nor myself would like to live in any other.
 If could only rctovrr De GrN's hoard Rather a big "only," for in the opinion of Sir sidney smith and many others the war might go on for years: and to venture into France before it was over. and, possibly, afterwards, would be like going into the lions den. Twice had been in Bonaparte's clutches and escaped. The next time might hr less fortunate.
 In the meantime, however. I be. thought mo of plan, of which more presently.
 When we reached Portsmouth, after an unusually long voyage, the winds having been bathing throughout, was much better. I could walk a little, and my flesh wounds were all healed. The n medical board by whom was examined were of the same opinion as Dr. Blake l, My eyes were improving, and in two ol three months 1 might be able to ust them for ordinary purposes-with suit able glasses-but it would be at least { | year before it could be decided whether
 I should ever be capable of again com manding one of her majestys ships 
 In the meantime, was invalided anC
 put on tho haf-pay of post-captain, t.
 which rank had been promoted.
 From Portsmouth went to London
 My mother wept when she saw Jenkins
 my steward (whom 1 had retained a | bodv-servant), lead me into the house
 and could tell by my fathers voic
 that he also was deeply moved, for
 though felt so much better, dare sa.
 I looked very i'll.
 One of the first questions I asked wa D. about the De GeXes. They were at tn D same lodgings, said my mother, but sh :. feared that they were not doing yer, v we'll. At any rate, Mme. de Gex locke
 anxious and Antoinette unhappy-a
 times very unhappy-as if they wer n struggling with adverse circumstance = or some hidden sorrow were weighin
 on their minds. They were very muc
 distressed when they heard of my dis II I o1,s