"You have spoken of some noble lady," remarked Mr. Alboni; "pray tell me
if you have never met with but one whom you could distinguish by that
title, in all your travels?"
"And for a very sensible reason; there never was but one like her; or,
that is, I have always thought so until to-day," replied the tar,
glancing toward Natalie; "for my old eyes have seen pretty much
everything they have got in this little world. Ha! I should like to see
the inch of land or water that my foot hasn't measured."
"Let us hear a little of your history, my good fellow: begin with the
beautiful lady," said Mr. Alboni, proudly contemplating his
grand-daughter.
"It's a yarn, your honor, that hasn't been spun to every jack tar that's
sailed the seas, for I've a sort of feeling about me, that her memory
shouldn't be used to gratify common curiosity; and, sir, it's only
through the lady's sweet face, so much like _her_, that I am induced to
tell the story, word for word. Ye see, it was about twenty years ago,
come September, and I shipped for a voyage to America in the De--De--,
well, never mind the name; those Frenchmen always spile their crafts
with a jaw-breaker of a name.
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