that she would have fallen down had it not been for Captain Wilson, who supported her, and she was very thankful to him.”

“You are right, Jack,” replied the governor, after a short pause; “that will, I think, do. I must tell him the story of the friars, because I swore you had something to do with it—but I’ll tell him no more: leave it all to me.”

Captain Wilson returned in the afternoon, and found the governor in the veranda.

“I have had some talk with young Easy,” said the governor, “and he has told me a strange story about that night, which he was afraid to tell to everybody.”

The governor then narrated the history of the friars and the will.

“Well, but,” observed Captain Wilson, “the history of that will afford no clue to the legacy.”

“No, it does not; but still, as I said, Jack had a hand in this. He frightened the old lady as a devil, and you caught her in your arms and saved her from falling, so he had a hand in it, you see.”

“I do now remember that I did save a very dowager-like old personage from falling at the sight of a devil, who, of course, must have been our friend Easy.”

“Well, and that accounts for the whole of it.”

“A thousand doubloons for picking up an old lady!”

“Yes, why not?—have you not heard of a man having a fortune left him for merely opening the pew door of a church to an old gentleman?”

“Yes, but it appears so strange.”

“There’s nothing strange in this world, Wilson, nothing at all—we may slave for years and get no reward, and do a trifle out of politeness and become independent. In my opinion, this mystery is unravelled. The old lady, for I knew the family, must have died immensely rich: she knew you in your full uniform, and she asked your name; a heavy fall would have been to one so fat a most serious affair; you saved her, and she has rewarded you handsomely.”

“Well,” replied Captain Wilson, “as I can give no other explanation, I suppose yours is the correct one; but it’s hardly fair to take a thousand doubloons from her relations merely for an act of civility.”

“You really are quite ridiculous; the old lady owned half Murcia, to my knowledge. It is no more to them than any one leaving you a suit of mourning in an English legacy. I wish you joy; it will help you with a large family, and in justice to them you are bound to take it. Everybody does as he pleases with his own money—depend upon it, you saved her from breaking her leg short off at the hip joint.”

“Upon that supposition I presume I must accept of the legacy,” replied Captain Wilson, laughing.

“Of course, send for it at once. The rate of exchange is now high. I will give you government bills, which will make it nearly four thousand pounds.”

“Four thousand pounds for preventing an old woman from falling!” replied Captain Wilson.

“Devilish well paid, Wilson, and I congratulate you.”

“For how much am I indebted to the father of young Easy!” observed Captain Wilson, after a silence of some minutes; “if he had not assisted me when I was appointed to a ship, I should not have gained my