“Mr. Alderman, my admiration of your niece is not unknown to you.”

“I have suspected it, Sir;” returned the burgher, who believed the tenor of the compromise was getting clearer, but who still waited to know the exact value of the concessions the other party would make, before he closed a bargain, in a hurry, of which he might repent at his leisure—­“Indeed, it has even been the subject of some discourse between us.”

“This admiration induced me to visit your villa, the past night,——­”

“This is a fact too well established, young gentleman.”

“Whence I took away——­” Ludlow hesitated, as if anxious to select his words—­

“Alida Barberie.”

“Alida Barberie!”

“Ay, Sir; my niece, or perhaps I should say my heiress, as well as the heiress of old Etienne de Barberie.  The cruise was short, Captain Cornelius Ludlow; but the prize-money will be ample—­unless, indeed, a claim to neutral privileges should be established in favor of part of the cargo!”

“Sir, your pleasantry is amusing, but I have little leisure for its enjoyment.  That I visited the Cour lies Fees, shall not be denied.  I think la belle Barberie will not be offended, under the circumstances, with this acknowledgment.”

“If she is, the jade has a rare squeamishness, after what has passed!”

“I pretend not to judge of more than my duty.  The desire to serve my royal mistress had induced me, Mr. Van Beverout, to cause a seaman of odd attire and audacious deportment to enter the Coquette.  You will know the man, when I tell you that he was your companion in the island ferry-boat.”

“Yes, yes, I confess there was a mariner of the long voyage there, who caused much surprise, and some uneasiness, to myself and niece, as well as to Van Staats of Kinderhook.”

Ludlow smiled, like one not to be deceived, as he continued.

“Well, Sir, this man so far succeeded, as to tempt me to suffer him to land, under the obligation of some half-extorted promise—­we came into the river together, and entered your grounds in company.”

Alderman Van Beverout now began to listen like a man who dreaded, while he desired to catch, each syllable.  Observing that Ludlow paused, and watched his countenance with a cool and steady eye, he recovered his self-command, and affected a mere ordinary curiosity, while he signed to him to proceed.

“I am not sure I tell Alderman Van Beverout any thing that is new,” resumed the young officer, “when I add, that the fellow suffered me to visit the pavilion, and then contrived to lead me into an ambush of lawless men, having previously succeeded in making captives of my boat’s-crew.”

“Seizures and warrants!” exclaimed the burgher in his natural strong and hasty manner of speeking.

“This is the first I have heard of the affair.  It was ill-judged, to call it by no other term.”

Ludlow seemed relieved, when he saw, by the undisguised amazement of his companion, that the latter was, in truth, ignorant of the matter in which lie had been detained.