he continued with a deep
groan, which he intended to be a pathetic sigh, "my heart is on fire."

"May be you've got the fever, William," suggested Mary; "are you in
_much_ pain?"

"Yes, great pain," said Bill, with another heart-rending groan.

"Well, then, rise, I insist--Lord! if anybody should catch us in this
predicament!"

"Hadn't we better go away?" whispered Ellen, blushing for her sister's
sake.

"No, no," I replied, "let's stay and see the fun."

"Not till I persuade you to relent," replied Langley to Mary's
oft-repeated request.

"Yes you will. Get up off your knees immediately, or I vow I'll box
your ears."

"Strike!" cried Langley, with a theatrical air and tone, at the same
time unbuttoning his vest, "strike! and wound the heart which beats
for you alone!"

_Slap_--came Mary's delicate hand across the cheek of her disconsolate
lover, with a force which brought an involuntary "ouch!" from his
lips. "Get up, I say!" _Whack_--_slap_--came two more blows, first on
one side of his head and then on the other.

"By G----d! madam!" sputtered Langley, rising in a rage, "I wish you
were a man for half a minute."

"Why," said Mary, "in that case you couldn't make love to me with any
sort of propriety. Hold, hold, Willy, dear! don't go off angry; sit
down here, I insist; nay, now, I'll box your ears again if you don't
obey me; there, you'll feel perfectly cool in a moment. For shame!
Bill, to get angry at a love-tap from a lady!"

"Love-tap, indeed," muttered Langley, rubbing his cheek. "See where
your confounded ring scratched my face."

"Did it? Oh! I'm so sorry!" said Mary. "Hold here, while I kiss the
place to make it well; there now, don't it feel much better? See! I've
got my lips all blood, haven't I? Shall I wipe it off with my
handkerchief, or--"

Langley took the hint and kissed the rich ripe lips of his lovely
companion, red with nothing but her own warm blood.

"By Jupiter!" cried my shipmate, "Mary, you are the strangest girl I
ever saw. One minute I think you love me, the next that you care
nothing at all for me; one minute the most teasing little devil, and
the next the dearest creature in all the world."

"What am I now?" asked Mary.

"You are the most angelic, adorable--"

"Take care, sir," cried Mary, shaking her finger; "don't have a
relapse, or you'll catch it again."

"Well, what shall I say then?" demanded poor Bill, in despair; "you
are as hard to please as the skipper