I took the liberty of returning him the same compliment; he was a tall raw-boned man, with strongly marked features, and a smile on his countenance that no modest woman could endure.  In his person he gave me the idea of a discharged life-guardsman; but from his face you might have supposed that he had sat for one of Rubens’ Satyrs.  He was one of those people with whom you become immediately acquainted; and before I had been an hour in his company, I laughed very heartily at his jokes—­not very delicate, I own, and for which he lost a considerable portion of my respect; but he was a source of constant amusement to me, living as we did in the same house.

I was just going out of the room when he stopped me—­“I say, how should you like to be introduced to some devilish nice Yankee girls, relations of mine, from Philadelphia? and I should be obliged to you to show them attention; very pretty girls, I can tell you, and will have good fortunes—­you may go farther and fare worse.  The old dad is as rich as a Jew—­got the gout in both legs—­can’t hold out much longer—­nice pickings at his money bags, while the devil is picking his bones.”

There was no withstanding such inducements, and I agreed that he should present me the next day.

Our dialogue was interrupted by the master of the house and his son, who gave me a hearty welcome; the father had been a widower for some years, and his only son Ned resided with him, and was intended to succeed to his business as a merchant.  We adjourned to dress for dinner; our bed-rooms were contiguous, and we began to talk of Sir Hurricane.

“He is a strange mixture,” said Ned.  “I love him for his good temper; but I owe him a grudge for making mischief between me and Maria; besides, he talks balderdash before the ladies, and annoys them very much.”

“I owe him a grudge too,” said I, “for sending me to sea in a gale of wind.”

“We shall both be quits with him before long,” said Ned; “but let us now go and meet him at dinner.  To-morrow I will set the housekeeper at him for his cruelty to her cat; and if I am not much mistaken, she will pay him off for it.”

Dinner passed off extremely well.  The admiral was in high spirits; and as it was a bachelor’s party, he earned his wine.  The next morning we met at breakfast.  When that was over, the master of the house retired to his office, or pretended to do so.  I was going out to walk, but Ned said I had better stay a few minutes; he had something to say to me; in fact, he had prepared a treat without my knowing it.

“How did you sleep last night, Sir Hurricane?” said the artful Ned.

“Why, pretty well; considering,” said the admiral, “I was not tormented by that old tom cat.  D——­n me, Sir, that fellow was like the Grand Signior, and he kept his seraglio in the garret, over my bed-room, instead of being at his post in the kitchen, killing the rats that are running about like coach-horses.”