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When the hour came for my departure to join my ship, my heart was oppressed
with sadness and regret at the idea of parting with that noble hearted
woman, who had been to me more than a mother. To her the prospect of parting
with me for a period, perhaps, of three years, was an event of the deepest
sorrow. Yet she felt that it was best for me to depart; that it was necessary I
should go forth into the world; and that on board ship I should be secure from
the fears which had harrassed me touching the ignominy which had been charged
upon my birth. For my sake she tried to suppress her overwhelming emotion,
and to assume a degree of cheerfulness she was far from feeling.

Dame Darwell at this time was just past her forty-seventh year, and still retained
traces of that rustic beauty which had captivated the heart of George
Darwell. Her eye was still dark and lively, her smile full of sweetness and her
step light and bouyant, though she had got to be something fleshy. Her attachment
and devotion to me seemed to increase with her years and my difficulties,
and in parting with her I felt I was about to rend myself.

Aunt Keezy, who was now a thin, prim, spectacled old lady of sixty-one,
having thus far in vain tried to outlive the good dame, professed a great deal of
hypocritical sorrow for my departure: though I well knew in her withered old
heart she was praying I might never return to rob her of Dame Darwell's loaves
and fishes which she was clinging to life with the hope yet to enjoy. Cousin
Mariah was not at home now. This discreet maiden seeing that Dame Darwell
grew each year more hale and hearty and that I had escaped the croup, scarlet
fever, rash, meazles and mumps, and promised to live out my full years, resolved
to commit matrimony. For this purpose she set her cap for the minister, a
slovenly bachelor who had succeeded the Rev. Dr. who had officiated at my
baptism. The minister came to the Silver Bottle to board, and this circumstance
inspired cousin Mariah with the idea of laying seige to his heart. The
lady in question was about nine and thirty, tall and slender, straight and thin,
innocent of bust and bustle. She had sandy brown hair, which she always
wore in two bunches of frizzled curls on each temple. Her ears were very
large and cartiliginous; her eyes pale blue; her nose inclined to turn up, and
the corners of her mouth down. She was remarkably plain altogether, with a
visage that seldom relaxed with a smile, but on the contrary expressed habitual
discontent. Such were the beseiging forces that were contemplating an assault
upon the solitary stronghold of celibacy within which Parson Buckhorn had entrenched
himself. The parson was about forty-four, six feet one inch high,
loosely jointed and hugely ungainly. He wore sheep skin slippers and a tattered
morning gown, spectacles, and a short pipe; for the latter was so constanly
in his mouth it may be reckoned among his attire.

Cousin Mariah began by a series of little attentions. She darned his hose
she starched his cravats; she burnt out his pipe; she patched his gown, she
kneed his pantaloons and elbowed his coat; she brought him hot water to shave
and brushed his hat and surtout. In a word the designing maiden managed to
make herself so useful to him that he was dependent on her for every thing.—
Dame Darwell saw the game and winked at it; for she was nothing loth that
the minister should take her off her hands; for couzin Maria was not the pleasantest
tempered person to live with in the world. After she had got the good
man as dependent upon her as a child, she suddenly took it into her head to
make a visit of a few days to a distant relation. This was her coup de main

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The poor minister was utterly lost. He had no one to darn his hose, to starch
his cravat, to fill his pipe, to knee his trousers and elbow his coat, to get hot
water for him to shave with, and brush his hat! He was completely lost. She
had well played her part.

`Good Mistress Darwell, when is your couzin to return?' said the poor ensnared
Minister the second morning after her departure.

`She may be gone three or four weeks, perhaps longer. I should'nt wonder
if she should get a husband there and stay away altogether!' said Dame Darwell
mischievously.

`Impossible! It can't he!' said the good man; and then he filled his pipe
and tried to console himself smoking. But it would not do. He became restless
and impatient; lost his appetite; forgot his sermons, and altogether showed
the symptoms of a bachelor bewitched. Seeing affairs in this condition the
good Dame thought it best to send for cousin Mariah, whom, as I have said, she
was secretly favoring and encouraging in her hymenial conspiracy. On the
fifth day cousin Mariah returned, and, to make an end of my story, in ten days
afterwards they were published, and in due time married, greatly to the joy of
the good dame. It was not a part of my foster mother to let cousin Mariah live
with her now she was married; and so giving her a handsome wedding present
of fifteen hundred dollars, she assisted them in going to housekeeping; and at
the time of my departure they were living in a comfortable dwelling at the
other end of the town. Cousin Mariah had now been six years a wife but not
a mother.

As the stage came up to the door to take me from the roof which had been all
my life my maternal home, the minister and cousin Mariah appeared to bid me
farewell. The good man gave me good council and his blessing, and cousin
Mariah said she hoped I would do credit to her and her cousin and all the relations,
considering `as I had no relation to do credit to!' I was in no mood at
such a moment to resent her malicious reflections upon my unfortunate infancy,
being too much oppressed by the open grief and fast flowing tears of my beloved
foster mother Closely she pressed me to her benevolent heart, prayed
Heaven to protect me and in safety return me to her arms.

The coachman had secured my baggage and got upon his box. I embraced
her tenderly and sprung into the coach. The next moment I was borne rapidly
away from the home of my childhood, from the only true friend I could trust
on earth, and fairly launched on the wide world of action, trials and struggles.

I was now eighteen, tall and well formed, and as dear Dame Darwell used to
say, `with fine hazel eyes and rich brown hair; a handsome nose and mouth
with a complexion inclined to brunette.' The change of scenery soon divested
my mind in a measure from the burden of parting sorrow, and I became more
tranquil and capable of reflection.

I felt I was now truly alone in the world! I did not know that a kindred
drop of blood flowed in the veins of any human being. I could call no one
father, mother, sister, brother, or cousin or kindred. I knew not even my name.
These reflections came full upon my mind and I gave the rein to the ideas and
emotions they suggested. From my boyhood, from the time that I had first
heard from the lips of Russel Carryl the approprious epithet of `Bastard' applied
to me, I had felt a feverish, restless, growing desire to learn who my parents
were! I panted to unfold the mystery—to learn the truth! This ever
living desire mingled even in my dreams; and many and many a night have I
dreamed I saw my mother and father!—she pale and beautiful, weeping and
clad in deep mourning; he tall, noble in person and with a countenance bold
yet pleasing. But I knew these were only the vision of memory recalling in
sleep the descriptions of good Dame Darwell. But once, and the very night I
left Cambridge, I had a dream that made a deep impression upon my mind, and
which yet gives a complexion to the future whenever I look forward to it. I
fell asleep dwelling painfully upon my disgrace, and the curse of man that seemed
destined to follow me, and cast a cloud over all the brightest prospects of my
life. I dreamed that I was standing in front of a stately gateway over which
was an escutchcon on which was an eagle trampling upon a serpent. I stood
gazing upon it, I remember, trying to recall where I had seen it before. While

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doing so a man dressed in black came to the gate and invited me with great respect
and reverence in his manner to enter, at the same time holding open the
gate with one hand. I passed in and found myself in an avenue lined with noble
trees of great antiquity. It led to a beautiful edifice that seemed to me to be a
palace. This man preceded me and ushered me up the steps of the magnificent
portico into a hall of great size and beauty.

On the wall at the extremity I saw a bas relief in green marble of an eagle
with his claw upon the head of a serpent. While I was looking at it and wondering,
and trying to recall what connection that eagle and serpent had with
something which seemed to weigh upon my memory, but which I could not recall,
a double door was thrown open beneath the marble escutcheon, and two
ushers coming forth, bowed to me, and then pointed forward through the door.
I advanced and entered a circular apartment of great splendor. It was hung
with tapestry worked in gold thread. At its extremity on a sumptuous couch
reclined a female form. By her side kneeled a tall man. I approached them.
The female was dead. He was gazing with tears upon her cold features. She
was about forty with a profile of exquisite beauty and heavenly expression still
resting upon her mouth. I involuntarily knelt on the opposite side of the couch.
The gentleman, who was a noble looking man of about fifty, looked up and gazing
on me tenderly, and without any surprise said,

`You have come too late, my son! The spirit has just flown!'

`I gazed upon her! I knew that it was my mother, and casting myself upon
the body I wept.

I awoke! My cheeks were bathed in tears; and a sadness lay heavily at my
heart. The dream made a deep and singular impression upon me! It has given
a tinge of melancholy to all my thoughts of my parents, while it has led me to
believe that I shall never again behold them living; that I shall go down to the
grave without ever knowing to whom I owe my being.

I reached Norfolk in time to join my ship. In a few days we put to sea, and
I entered with zeal and alacrity upon my duties. Our destination was the
Mediterranean. After cruising in those agreeable latitudes for a few months, I
joined the North Carolina, 74, and after a cruise of three years, returned to the
United States. I did not delay an hour in New York, but at once hastened to
my foster-mother, who had regularly written to me, and whom I now found
perfectly well, and now that I had returned, perfectly happy. Aunt Keezy
met me with a warm welcome, but couzin Mariah looked as if she were sorry I
was not safe in the bottom of the sea. This feeling doubtless had its origin in
the fact of her having presented the good parson a little pug-nosed baby boy,
whom she had christened George Darwell and in whose way she felt I stood.

I had now acquired a good knowledge of seamanship and was so fortunate as
to be ordered to Philadelphia to prepare for examination. While there I devoted
myself wholly to study and passed the ordeal midshipmen so much dread
not only without difficulty but with flattering commendations from the Board
of Examiners. Up to this time from the hour of my entering the navy nothing
had transpired that could lead me to believe that the mystery of my birth
was know to my fellow officers. But the evening of the day on which I passed
my examination showed me that I had not been forgotten by my implacable
enemy Russel Carryl. The `Passed' Midshipmen partook of a supper. I was
of the party. There was also present a midshipman who for some reason or
other had taken a dislike to me. He had passed with difficulty and I had answered
invariably every question to which he had failed. This irritated him, I
saw at the time. At the supper, observing he looked at me from time to time
with a clouded brow, I felt a disposition to conciliate him, and said pleasantly,

`Frank, I will take wine with you!'

`I drink wine only with gentlemen,' he answered in a haughty and most insulting
tone.

I was thunderstruck. Every eye was turned upon us! In reply I threw my
wine into his face and sent the glass after it. Every man sprang to his feet.—
My antagonist drew his dirk and leaped across the table. He was seized and
disarmed. I did not draw. A terrible feeling rushed upon me. It was the
idea that his insulting words had some connection with a knowledge of the

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mystery hanging around my infancy! I was rendered almost insensible at the
thought. The excitement was very great among the young men. All condemned
him and acquitted me; while they demanded of him his reason for
using such language.

`He is no gentleman, I repeat,' was the answer of the incensed young midshipman.

`You must prove this or fight him,' said one.

There was a loud murmur of surprise and every eye rested full on me. I
stood silent and pale as death. I felt that the curse of my destiny had followed
me. I did not speak—for I could not! my limbs and tongue were paralysed!
The cold sweat stood in large drops upon my forehead My emotion was
witnessed by all. It confirmed my degradation.

`You see he does not deny it,' said the midshipman with scornful exultation.
`I happened to be a school-fellow of Russel Carryl, a young fellow now in New
Orleans, and to day I got a letter from him, in which he states that he knew
Darwell when a boy, and that he was then notoriously known to be the illegitimate
son of a woman Darwell who kept an Inn. He says he wrote to me, seeing
by the papers that I was here a candidate for `passing' and Darwell's name
also; and supposing this gentleman might possibly try to cultivate the intimacy
of respectable people he put me on my guard.'

On hearing this there was a general burst of indignation. Every eye was
fixed upon me with menace.

`Infamous,' said one.

`Degrading to the navy,' cried a second.

`He deserves to be broke for his audacity in getting into the service,' cried
another.

`Can this tale possibly be true?' asked a fine young officer approaching me
with a look of surprise and sympathy.

`It is false,' I cried, instantly aroused and my whole spirit kindled. `He who
asserts it is a liar and a ruffian.'

`I assert it,' retorted my antagonist.

`Then are you a liar and a ruffian,' I answered calmly but firmly. The
young man became pale as marble.

`You must fight him,' said several, `you cannot pass this by.'

`I will not fight a degraded fellow like this.'

`Then defend yourself, coward,' I cried, advancing upon him with my dagger,
for I was beside myself with anger.

A circle was opened for us and for several moments we fought with our dirks,
giving and receiving wounds. At length he fell! I felt my arm firmly taken
by the friendly midshipman and his voice in my ear, said,

`Fly! You have slain him.'

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