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It was dark when Lord Aveleyn, with melancholy foreboding, took his last farewell; for, ere the sun had risen again, the spirit of Edward Forster had regained its liberty, and soared to the empyrean, while the deserted Amber wept and prayed.
Such was the history of Lord Aveleyn, who continued to extend his friendship to Edward Forster, and if he had required it, would gladly have proffered his assistance, in return for the kindness which Forster had shown towards him when he was a midshipman.
To the astonishment of everybody on board, young Aveleyn came alongside in the captain's own gig, when the scene in the midshipmen's berth and the discomfiture of the first-lieutenant may be imagined. "You don't belong to the service, Frank," said the old master's mate; "and, as peer of the realm, coming on board to visit the ship, you are entitled to a salute.
About an hour afterwards, Mr W reappeared, with his face bound up, and summoned all the young gentlemen on deck, insisting upon being informed who it was who had stowed away the bottle in the bunt of the sail; but midshipmen have most treacherous memories, and not one of them knew anything about it. As a last resource, young Aveleyn was called down from the mast-head.
Lord Aveleyn immediately obeyed the summons, and perceiving at the first glance that Forster's situation debarred all chance of recovery, took upon himself with willingness the charge of the letter, and promised to receive Amber into his house until it was convenient that she should be removed.
The youngster immediately penned a letter to the captain, acknowledging that he was the offender, and requesting that Mr Aveleyn might not be discharged from the service; he also ventured to add a postscript, begging that the same lenity might be extended towards himself; which letter was sent on shore by the captain's gig, when it left the ship the next morning, and was received by Captain L at the very same time that young Aveleyn, who had not been sent on shore till late in the evening, called upon the captain to request a reprieve from his hard sentence.
She lifted up her head, and dividing the hair from her forehead, that she might see who it was, perceived that it was young Aveleyn who was hanging over her. "My poor little girl!" said he in a tone of commiseration. "Oh! William Aveleyn," cried Amber, bursting into a paroxysm of tears, as she was folded in his arms.
Lord Aveleyn's father, who had married late in life, was summoned away when the eldest brother of the present Lord Aveleyn, the heir, was yet a minor, about two years after he had embarked in the ship to which Edward Forster belonged.
"Tell the first-lieutenant what?" cried Captain L , perceiving some mistake. "Why, has not Mr W told you?" "Yes, sir, he told me it was your orders that I should be dismissed his Majesty's service." "Discharged not dismissed. And I presume he told you why: because your two elder brothers are dead, and you are now Lord Aveleyn."
The narrative had scarcely been finished, when Lord Aveleyn, who had been summoned by Robertson, drove to the door accompanied by Lady Aveleyn, who thought that her presence and persuasions would more readily induce Amber to leave the cottage.
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