A tea was then prepared for us to which we did ample justice, but everything seemed so strange.  We had not been used to chairs, carpets, window blinds, mutton chops, or even butter, but they soon came back to us as old friends, who had long been absent but not forgotten.

We had a couple of bedrooms assigned to us, also a spare room, into which, on the morrow, I meant to convey our whole cargo; but at present I had neither mentioned our craft or its contents.  These things I reserved as a surprise for my dad in the morning.

After we had tidied ourselves I ventured to ask about Priscilla, upon which my father beckoned me to another room, which greatly upset me.  Surely nothing was wrong with her; was she ill?

My father noticed my agitation as I asked, “Father, is anything amiss with her?  Don’t tell me she is ill!”

“No, no, my boy, calm yourself, she is well enough, but——­”

“Oh, go on, father, pray do!  I can bear whatever you have to say about her except that she has been untrue to me.  If she has, I will find the man who has stolen her affection, and——­”

“Peace! peace, my son! and listen to me quietly.  I believe she is as true a girl as ever lived; but why did you not answer her letters?  Twice she wrote to you, but not a line did she receive in reply.”

“Letters!  I know nothing of any letters from her; all I have received was the solitary letter from you.  But tell me what has happened?  Why do you look so grave?  Tell me, father, and end my suspense.”

“Well, as near as I can tell you, Harry, it is this.  When you landed on the island it was to be for twelve months only, but at the end of that time I wrote to you stating that young Johnson would wager one hundred pounds that you would be so sick of your exile, that you would not stay another six months on the island upon any consideration.  I wrote you, and you accepted the wager, and I find that during the past six months he has been paying his addresses to Priscilla, who——­”

“What!” I broke in wildly, “trying to alienate the affections of my betrothed, while he dangled a paltry one hundred pounds before my eyes so as to keep the coast clear, while he laid siege to my love.  Let me catch sight of the villain, and he shall rue the day he trespassed on my rights.  But what does Priscilla say to his protestations of love; surely she does not give him countenance?”

“My boy, you are too hasty,” said my father, patting me soothingly on the shoulder; “listen patiently and hear all I have to say, then you can draw your own conclusions.

“Priscilla I know has not given him encouragement, but has returned several presents that he has sent her; but what mortifies her so, is that you have not even deigned to send her a line through all her time of temptation, although she has written twice to you.  Johnson’s uncle has a large estate in Florida, and being an old man, wants him to go out and help him to manage it.  Johnson has consented to go West, and only this week made an offer of marriage to Priscilla asking her to accompany him to Florida as his wife.”