le a young woman of about twenty years
of age was advancing upon me from the window. With easy grace the elder
lady introduced herself as Mrs Todd, and the young lady as her daughter
Lucy. Then she invited me to be seated, explaining that her husband was
dressing and would join us in the course of a few minutes. As a matter
of fact it was about twenty minutes before Mr Todd--a typical Scotsman
from head to heel, and speaking as broadly as though he had just arrived
from `Glesca' instead of having been a resident in Kingston for a
quarter of a century--made his appearance. But I certainly did not
regret the delay, for those twenty minutes were among the most pleasant
that I had ever spent in my life. Mrs Todd soon proved herself to be
one of those gentle, kindly-mannered, sweet-dispositioned women with
whom one instantly finds oneself on the most friendly and cordial terms,
while Miss Lucy with equal celerity revealed herself as a sprightly,
high-spirited maiden without a particle of artificiality about her,
bright and vivacious of manner, with plenty to say for herself, but at
the same time thoroughly sensible. As for Mr Todd, he was, as I have
said, a typical Scotsman, but I ought to have added "of the very best
sort", for from beneath his superficial businesslike keenness and
shrewdness the natural kindliness and geniality of his disposition was
constantly peeping through. As an instance of this I may mention that
within five minutes of my meeting him he was insisting upon my making
his house my home for as long a time as I might be on the island, which
invitation his wife and his daughter were seconding with an earnestness
that left me no room to doubt its absolute sincerity. And I may as well
say, here and now, that when I subsequently put the hospitality of this
delightful and warm-hearted family to the proof, so far from the
performance falling short of the promise, I could not have been treated
with greater kindness and consideration--ay, and I may even add,
affection--had they been my own nearest relatives.

We--that is to say, Mr Todd and myself--arrived at the Pen a few
minutes before seven o'clock, and were forthwith ushered into the
drawing-room, where we were received in most hospitable fashion by Sir
Timothy and Lady Tompion, and where we found already assembled several
captains and other officers from the men-o'-war then in harbour, with a
sprinkling of merchants from Kingston and planters from the