The Quartermaster of the “Britannia”

           THEsurprisecausedbythesewordscannotbedescribed.Glenarvansprangtohisfeet,andpushingbackhisseat,exclaimed:"Whospoke?"

           "Idid,"saidoneoftheservants,atthefarendofthetable.

           "You,Ayrton!"repliedhismaster,notlessbewilderedthanGlenarvan.

           "Yes,itwasI,"rejoinedAyrtoninafirmtone,thoughsomewhatagitatedvoice."AScotchmanlikeyourself,myLord,andoneoftheshipwreckedcrewoftheBritannia."

           Theeffectofsuchadeclarationmaybeimagined.MaryGrantfellback,half-fainting,inLadyHelena’sarms,overcomebyjoyfulemotion,andRobert,andMangles,andPaganelstartedupandtowardthemanthatPaddyO’MoorehadaddressedasAYRTON.Hewasacoarse-lookingfellow,aboutforty-fiveyearsofage,withverybrighteyes,thoughhalf-hiddenbeneaththick,overhangingbrows.Inspiteofextremeleannesstherewasanairofunusualstrengthabouthim.Heseemedallboneandnerves,or,touseaScotchexpression,asifhehadnotwastedtimeinmakingfat.Hewasbroad-shoulderedandofmiddleheight,andthoughhisfeatureswerecoarse,hisfacewassofullofintelligenceandenergyanddecision,thathegaveoneafavorableimpression.Theinterestheexcitedwasstillfurtherheightenedbythemarksofrecentsufferingimprintedonhiscountenance.Itwasevidentthathehadenduredlongandseverehardships,andthathehadbornethembravelyandcomeoffvictor.

           "YouareoneoftheshipwreckedsailorsoftheBritannia?"wasGlenarvan’sfirstquestion.