sea legs yet,
that's plain."

"It's very queer. There are just tiny leaves coming out on the trees,
and a few curious white flowers, little bells, coming up in the garden,
and crocus in pretty colors. But I don't like it very much. Miss Eunice
is nice and has such a soft voice. And the houses are so funny and shut
up, and there are no servants about, nor any one praying on the corners
and holding out a basin for rice; and no piles of fruit for sale."

"No; this isn't the time of year for fruit;" and there was a funny
twinkle in the captain's eye. "Just wait until August and September."

Cynthia considered. "That is three and four months away. Father will be
here then;" with a child's confidence.

"And there are berries earlier, and cherries, and then some sugar pears.
Oh, you will be feasted. And you'll like Cousin Leverett, when you come
to get acquainted with him. You will go to school, too, and know lots of
little girls. You won't want to go back to India."

"Unless father shouldn't come. Oh, he surely will, because, you see, I'm
praying ever so many times a day."

"That's right;" with a cheerful nod.

"When are you going back?"

"In about a month, I calculate."

She sighed and looked out over the great stretch of waters. "What is
that long point down there?" she asked suddenly.

"That's Salem Neck, and there is Winter Island. They are always building
ships down there and turn out some mighty fine ones. And fishing;
there's a sight of cod, and haddock, and mackerel, and all the other
fish in season. They salt them and take them half over the world. And
there's a rope-walk you'd enjoy seeing, leastways you would if you were
a boy. And there are some stores. We have lots of goods consigned to the
Merrits. Salem's a big place, now I tell you!"

"Bigger than Calcutta?"

"Sho' now! Calcutta can't hold a candle to it."

The captain's cabin was being dismantled for repairs and cleaning. She
glanced in it. How many days she had spent here! Everything was in
disorder, yet there was a certain home remembrance that touched the
child's heart, and brought tears to her eyes.

"Oh, are you here?" It was Chilian Leverett's voice, and he held out his
hand. She looked so bright now and there was a little color in her
cheeks, an eager interest about her. He was afraid she was going to be a
rather dull child.

"Yes; it's almost like home, you know; only when we lived here it wasn't
so topsy-turvy."

"Did you feel qu