t delightful breakfast. Miss Somerville, although
declared out of danger by the doctor, was still languid, but able to
continue her journey; and as they had not many miles farther to go, Mr
Somerville proposed a delay of an hour or two.

Breakfast ended, he quitted the room to arrange for their departure, and
I found myself _tete a tete_ with the young lady. During this short
absence I found out that she was an only daughter, and that her mother
was dead; she again introduced the subject of my family-name, and I
found also that before Mrs Somerville's death, my father had been on
terms of great intimacy with Emily's parents. I had not replied to Mr
Somerville's question. A similar one was now asked by his daughter; and
so closely was I interrogated by her coral lips and searching blue eyes,
that I could not tell a lie. It would have been a horrid aggravation of
guilt, so I honestly owned that I was the son of her father's friend,
Mr Mildmay.

"Good Heaven!" said she, "why had you not told my father so?"

"Because I must have said a great deal more besides," added I, making
her my confidante. "I am the midshipman whom Mr Somerville supposes to
be in the Mediterranean, and I ran away from my father's house last
night."

Although I was as concise as possible in my story, I had not finished
before Mr Somerville came in.

"Oh, papa," said his daughter, "this young gentleman is Frank Mildmay,
after all."

I gave her a reproachful glance for having betrayed my secret; her
father was astonished--she looked confused, and so did I. Nothing now
remained for me but an open and candid confession, taking especial care,
however, to conceal the part I had acted in throwing the stone. Mr
Somerville reproved me very sharply, which I thought was taking a great
liberty; but he softened it down by adding, "If you knew how dear the
interests of your family are to me, you would not be surprised at my
assuming the tone of a parent." I looked at Emily and pocketed the
affront.

"And Frank," pursued he, "when I tell you that, although the distance
between your father's property and mine has in some measure interrupted
our long intimacy, I have been watching your career in the service with
interest, you will, perhaps, take my advice, and return home. Do not
let me have to regret that one to whom I am under such obligations
should too proud to acknowledge a fault. I admire a high spirit in a
good cause: but towards a parent it