dered from Cromer to convey Agatha, her attendants, and what part of her luggage she chose to take with her, to her new residence; and all this was speedily arranged by the fisher, who, again entering Agatha's apartment, beheld her seated between the two boys, as if, indeed, she was actually the sister of them, and they appeared evidently delighted in sharing the kind attentions of their lovely protectress; and the fisher exclaimed, on perceiving the rugged countenance of his little friend greatly softened of its inflexible expression,

"Why, shiver my top-sails! I believe Miss Singleton, that you are a witch, a very witch! and that you have the power of enchanting every one who comes near you. So, my little fellow, you are now come to your senses, and have told this young lady what you refused to tell me." To which Wolf, immediately running up to him, and giving the fisher his hand, replied,—

"But I did not then know how much I was obliged to you, but my sister has told me all about it, and I am no longer afraid of you, and I will fight for you, if you will let me. I told my pretty sister how well I could fight; I am very fond of fighting; Jack showed me how to fight when I was on board of the ship, and I have never forgotten it."

The fisher by turns surveyed the countenance of Agatha, and that of little Wolf, but without being able to resist from laughter, and soon being informed why he had laid claim to Miss Singleton as his sister, and every particular he had related to her, of the manner he had been treated in the Black Forest, of the cruelty of the man and woman in whose hands he had fallen, and of the protection and kindness of the honest Jack Tar, who had so unfortunately perished in the sea, the fisher expressed the greatest astonishment; no longer entertaining a doubt but the boy had either been secreted by these perfidious wretches, for some nefarious and wicked purpose, or that he had been deserted by the authors of his being, who, however illustrious or great, had brought him forth in shame, and left him to a wild and merciless world for protection, or what was even more to be dreaded, had employed persons either to destroy him, or conceal the origin of his birth; at all events, it was very clear that the boy was neither the offspring of

the woman nor the man, from the sentences which had escaped from the lips of the latter, when, as Wolf expressed it, he was lying in a state of inebriety, and that he knew who were the parents of the child was certain, and for what purpose he was concealed was as probable, but that mystery had now thrown an impervious veil over these circumstances, which it was very unlikely would ever be removed, except by the miraculous assistance of divine interposition; the fisher was aware, as he had no clue to discover what part of Denmark the ship had sailed from, or where the forest was situated that the boy had spoken of, as being the place in which these barbarians had so long secreted him; and he was almost as much in the dark about the history of his young companion for Alfred could give no further account of himself than, that his father was the captain of the ship in which he had sailed, previous to which he had been taken from an academy, where he had been placed for his education, and which was very far distant from Denmark; that he had never known any other home but this; that he had never beheld his mother, and did not know that he had any relative living that belonged to him; that when at the academy he only saw Captain Alfred, who said he was his father, once in the year, and then he brought him presents and clothes, and paid all his expences, till the ensuing year came round again. "And do you not know the name of the person who kept this academy, my dear little fellow?" demanded the fisher, viewing the fine handsome features of the little narrator with peculiar kindness; to which he replied,

"His name was Stoddart, Sir, one of them, (for there were two masters,) and the other was called Sebastian; he was a foreigner, a Spaniard, I believe, and used to teach us foreign languages; he taught us French and Italian, and the use of the globes; but I liked Stoddart best, because he was an Englishman, and so was my father."

"Shiver my top-sails! if your father was any the better for that," cried the fisher; "there's good and bad in all countries, my fine fellow, and England has no more right to boast of superiority in this respect than any other; but it don't matter what country we belong to, as long as we perform our duty to enable us

to journey to that where we must all meet, every mother's son of us, whether we are princes, peasants, or slaves, and where no distinction will be made, except in the degrees of how we have merited a title, or deserved a place there; so, my dear boy, not knowing whether you were born rich or poor, you must e'en rank with your fellow-sufferer there; and shake hands with each other, for he is now your brother in the calamity by which you are both, it is very probable, orphans; but be thankful that you are not unprotected ones, but have fallen into hands that will take charge of you, and henceforth, Alfred and Wolf, ye shall both be the sons of Fisher Blust; and, if you are good boys, shiver my top-sails! if ever you shall have reason to lament the hour that Providence threw you on this coast for protection. Come, I am now going to take you to another home, where too, you will find some more sisters, besides this young lady, to keep you company."

"And how many, pray, Sir ?" demanded Wolf, with some anxiety depicted in his countenance.

"Two," answered the fisher; "I have two daughters, much about the same age as Miss Singleton."

"And are they both so beautiful, aud good tempered as she, said Wolf? and do they look so much like an angel?"

"Shiver my topsails?" answered the fisher, now laughing heartily," but if you had numbered more years, boy, you would be a pretty sort of chick to take roost with my girls; but come, there is little danger at the present moment, and you shall tell me at Herring Dale which of your sisters is most to your mind, for you are one of those, I perceive, who will not be over fond of much ceremony. Come, Wolf, you must bear me company; Alfred must go in the carriage with Miss Singleton, because he is not so well able to walk as you."

Wolf, on these words, darted a look at Agatha, and instantly springing to her side, caught hold of the skirts of her gown, and resolutely persisted that he would not leave her behind him.

"But she is going also," cried the fisher; "you will see her again in a few moments."

"And why may I not go with her as well as Alfred ?" answered Wolf," she called me brother first, so I will be the last to leave No. 5.

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