Part 28 (2/2)

”You were about to say sootten what it was Such a surprise--such a joyful, blessed surprise--I beg pardon, Mr Drewett--ah I reford, of Clawbonny, the gentleman who is my father's ward--Grace's brother, you know”

”And how related to yourself, Miss Hardinge?” the gentlely

”To et so --why, not at all”

It was at thissalutations with studied decoruh tempted, I could not, just at the s, to admire No one seemed to miss him, however, and we five, who remained, were soon seated in the spot I have mentioned, and as much abstracted from the scene around us, as if we had been on the rustic bench, under the old elm, on the lawn--if I dare use so fine a word, for so unpretending a place--at Clawbonny I had e and Grace, while Lucy sat next her father, and Rupert next toto his stature, while I saw the glistening eyes of Lucy, riveted on raceful form forward, in absorbed attention

”We expected you; we have not been taken _altogether_ by surprise!”

exclai his hand on in to treat me like a man ”I consented to come down, just at this ht the intelligence that the Crisis was to sail in ten days”

”And you e of our surprise,” said Rupert, ”e read the report in the papers, 'The Crisis, _Captain Wallingford_'”

”I supposed my letters from the island had prepared you for this,” I observed

”In them, you spoke of Mr Marble, and I naturally concluded, when it ca the shi+p home Duty to the owners would be apt to induce him”

”He did not,” I answered, a little proudly perhaps, forgetting poor Marble's probable situation, for an instant, in my own vanity ”Mr

Marble understood well, that if I knew nothing else, I kne to take care of a shi+p”

”So it seee, kindly ”I hear from all quarters, you conduct commended; and the recovery of the vessel from the French, was really worthy of Truxtun hiun of American naval idolatry, and had as land The allusion was a sore assault onwith it, as well as I could

”I endeavoured to donot to look at Lucy, and seerace to have coot the shi+p from us, ere all asleep”

”But you took a shi+p from the French, in that manner, and kept her too!”

said a soft voice, every intonation of which waseyes of Lucy, just clear of the grey coat of her father, behind which she instinctively shrank, the instant she caughtof that sort, and were a little more fortunate than our enemies But, you will recollect ere much favoured by the co us a schooner to work our ht that part of your story, Miles, a little extraordinary,” observed Mr Hardinge; ”though I suppose this Frenchman's liberality was, in some measure, a matter of necessity, out there, in the middle of the Pacific”

”I hardly think you do Captain Le Compte justice, sir He was a chivalrous fellow, and every way a gallant seaht have been, but for his passengers--that is all--at least, I have always suspected that the wish to have Miss Merton all to hiet rid of us as soon as possible He evidently admired her, and could have been jealous of a dead-eye”

”Miss Merton!” exclaimed Grace ”Jealous!”

”Miss Merton!” put in Rupert, leaning forward, curiously

”Miss Merton! And jealous of dead-eyes, and wishi+ng to get rid of us!”

said Mr Hardinge, s ”Pray who is Miss Merton? and who are the _us_? and what are the dead-eyes?”

Lucy was silent

”Why, sir, I thought I wrote you all about the Mertons Hoe met them in London, and then found them prisoners to Monsieur Le Compte; and that I intended to carry them to Canton, in the Crisis!”