Beadle's Dime Novels No. 87: On the Deep — page 12: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

14 ON THE DEEP. I. tender in a way we hope will meet with your fair deprecia- tion, we deign to offer our supreme regrets that Mr. Loring, being indisposed to finish a job about the anchor, has not been able to share with us in this conyivial symphony, which, it is to be hoped, ‘you'll find delicate. “You are very kind,” said Grace, looking exceedingly puz- zled. “ Ay, ay, blow me, Block, but that wasa masterly stroke !” cried Capstan, bringing the end of his knife-handle upon -the table with great force. ‘“ And, Miss Greenville,” he added, addressing her in a voice of emotion, “we would lay down our lives for you—every man of us! Block, here, whose. know- ledge of women is wonderful, can divine all your wants, for which we hope to ‘ previde’ satisfactorily. . “My knowledge of females,” said the mate, by way of ex- planation, “isn’t so much the result of insinuation as it is of experiment.” The young girl, after thanking both for their ppericuibton ai good wishes, made her way to the quarter-deck. She looked in the direction of the islands, and saw a mass of dark, sul-— phurous-looking clouds. She noticed, too, that the wind had nearly died away, and that the sails were flapping heavily against the masts. Loring, who had come aft to give some order to the man at the wheel, approached her ina deferential manner. | “ Miss Greenville,’ he said, lifting his hat and bowing re- spectfully, “I hope you will pardon me, a stranger, for speak- ing to you, but I could never forgive myself were I not to explain the meaning of the singular spectacle you have just witnessed below. I would not have you think, for the world, that there is a man in at craft rude enough to wound your feelings intentionally— “ Oh, no, sir,” interrupted Grace, with a sweet but melan- choly smile, “I know there is not; and I feel very grateful for the kind way in which I have already been treated.” “And yet,” said the young man, “ you must have been hurt by the seeming want of respect shown by Block and Capstan, in wearing their hats before you at the table.” “ Indeed, sir, I was not,” she replied. “Though I will not comicbooks.com