Novels Author:Frederick Marryat Purchase of this book includes free trial access to www.million-books.com where you can read more than a million books for free. This is an OCR edition with typos. Excerpt from book: had been brought up, Alexander Wilmot took leave of his grand-uncle. " May God bless you, sir, and keep you well till my return," said Alexander, pressing his... more » hand. " May the Lord protect you, my dear boy, and allow you to return and close my eyes," replied Sir Charles, with much emotion. Before night Alexander Wilmot was in London, from thence he hastened down to Portsmouth, to embark. The next day, the Surprise weighed anchor, and ran through the Needles, and before the night closed in was well down the Channel, standing before the wind, with studding sails below and aloft. Chapter III A Melancholy feeling clouded the features of Alexander Wilmot as, on the following morning, the vessel, under a heavy press of sail, was fast leaving the shores of his native country. He remained on the poop of the vessel with his eyes fixed upon the land which every moment became more indistinct. His thoughts may be easily imagined. Shall I ever see that land again ? Shall I ever return, or shall my bones remain in Africa, perhaps not even buried, but bleaching in the desert ? And if I do return, shall I find my old relation still alive, or called away, loaded as he is with years, to the silent tomb ? We are in the hands of a gracious God. His will be done. Alexander turned away, as the land had at last become no longer visible, and found a young man of about his own age standing close to him, and apparently as much lost in reverie as he had been. As in turning round Alexander brushed against him, he thought it right to apologise for the unintentional act, and this occasioned a conversation. " I believe, sir," said the other party, who was a tall, spare, slight-built man, with a dark complexion, " that we were both indulging in similar thoughts as we took leave of our native ...« less