took their way through the pinewood
that led to the cottage, "tell me, Nelly, am I right or wrong in my
appreciation--for I really want to be just and fair in the matter--are
we Bramleighs confounded snobs?"

The downright honest earnestness with which he put the question made her
laugh heartily, and for some seconds left her unable to answer him.

"I half suspect that we may be, Jack," said she, still smiling.

"I'm certain of one thing," continued he, in the same earnest tone;
"our distinguished guest deems us such. There is a sort of simpering
enjoyment of all that goes on around him, and a condescending approval
of us that seems to say, 'Go on, you 'll catch the tone yet. You 're not
doing badly by any means.' He pushed me to the very limit of my patience
the other day with this, and I had to get up from luncheon and leave
the house to avoid being openly rude to him. Do you mind my lighting a
cigar, Nelly, for I 've got myself so angry that I want a weed to calm
me down again?"

"Let us talk of something else; for on this theme I'm not much better
tempered than yourself."

"There 's a dear good girl," said he, drawing her towards him, and
kissing her cheek. "I 'd have sworn you felt as I did about this old
fop; and we must be arrant snobs, Nelly, or else his coming down amongst
us here would not have broken us all up, setting us exchanging sneers
and scoffs, and criticising each other's knowledge of life. Confound the
old humbug; let us forget him."

They walked along without exchanging a word for full ten minutes or
more, till they reached the brow of the cliff, from which the pathway
led down to the cottage. "I wonder when I shall stand here again?" said
he, pausing. "Not that I 'm going on any hazardous service, or to meet
a more formidable enemy than a tart flag-captain; but the world has such
strange turns and changes that a couple of years may do anything with a
man's destiny."

"A couple of years may make you a post-captain, Jack; and that will be
quite enough to change your destiny."

He looked affectionately towards her for a moment, and then turned away
to hide the emotion he could not master.

"And then, Jack," said she, caressingly, "it will be a very happy day
that shall bring us to this spot again."

"Who knows, Nelly?" said he, with a degree of agitation that surprised
her. "I have n't told you that Julia and I had a quarrel the last time
we met."

"A quarrel!"

"Well, it was somethin