68 THE HISTORY OF

ed open the door and walked in. It was almost
dark in the house; there was no other light ex-
cept from a few embers which glowed upon
the hearth.

‘* My dear Susan,” said the Captain, coming
up to me, “ why did you run away? why are
you so frightened?”

‘Pray, Sir, pardon me,” I said, making a
low courtesy.

“Is your mistress at home? I wished to
see her,” said the Captain.

“No, Sir,” I said, “she is not. But if you
please she shall call upon you to-morrow morn-
ing at any hour you may fix.”

““No,” he answered; ‘ what I have to say
to her is of little consequence.”

Then he added, looking very hard in my
face, ‘‘ You have a very sweet voice, Susan.
Do you always, when alone, sing hymns? Do
you never sing any other than holy songs?”

“No, Sir,” I answered, “I know no other.”

**By whom were you brought up? Where
do your parents live?” he enquired.

1 told him, that I had no father nor mother.

He asked me many questions about the way
in which I had been brought up; and when I
had answered them, “Sir,” I said, “ will you
pardon a poor servant, but, as it is very late,
might I ask you, if you have any message
which I could deliver to my mistress?”

‘What, my little Susan,” he said, “ you
wish me to leave you; you, perhaps, think that
your mistress would be displeased, if she found
me here,”