crusty last night. You must not think any
more of it, old fellow. We'll have a jolly day at Scarborough to-morrow.
And, Jack,' he went on, 'I was very much annoyed at the time, I own I
was; but I'm not sure after all that you're not right.'

He said no more, but hurried away, and it was many years before he
referred to the subject again; but the day came when he did mention it,
and when he told me, with tears in his eyes, that he looked upon that
Sunday at Runswick as the first link in the chain of God's loving
Providence, by means of which He had led him to Himself. He told me then
that he had never forgotten my firm refusal to go with him, and he had
never forgotten the sermon to which he had listened hidden from sight by
the bank.

Our day at Scarborough exceeded all our anticipations. The weather was
glorious, and Tom was in excellent spirits, and we thoroughly enjoyed
everything.

I could not help feeling sorry when Thursday came, which was to be my
last day at Runswick Bay. It had been such a happy and so eventful a
time. I seemed to have passed through so much, and to have learnt so
much unknown to me before, that I felt very reluctant to bring my
holiday to a close. As for Duncan and Polly, they were quite melancholy
as the time for my departure drew near.

'We _shall_ feel lost without you, sir,' said Duncan. 'We shan't
know what to do'; and there were tears in Polly's eyes as she said
mournfully, when she set the herrings on the table for my supper,
'Them's the last herrings I shall fry you, sir, and I feel as if there
was going to be a death in the house.'

'Cheer up, Polly,' I said, 'who knows? Perhaps you may have to put up
with me next time I get a holiday, and you may be sure I shall want
plenty of herrings then.'

She brightened a little at this, and little John, who was quite well
now, and who had become very friendly with me since his illness, climbed
up on my knee, and stroked my face with his little thin hand, as if he
were trying to coax me to come back to them again.

There was one thing which I had a great desire to do before leaving
Runswick. I knew that Duncan was much troubled about the Mary Ann. She
had been terribly knocked about in the storm, which was no wonder,
seeing that she had drifted about, bottom upwards, and had been driven
hither and thither on the waves. When Duncan had examined her the day
after his arrival, he had found that she leaked in several places, and
was altoget