d his claim; and I dare say was happier as an obscure
Indian missionary than he would have been as King of France. He died at
the age of seventy."

"Poor Marie Antoinette!" sighed Elsie; "I never could read her story
without tears, and the very thought of her sorrows and sufferings makes
my heart ache."

"I don't think I ever read it," said Zoe, "though I have a general idea
what it was."

"We have Abbott's life of her at Ion," said Elsie. "I'll get it for you
when we go home."

Harold stepped to the window. "It is raining very little now, if at
all," he said, "and the sea must be in a fine rage; let us go and have a
look at it"

"Oh, yes, let's go!" cried Betty, springing to her feet; "but I'm afraid
we've missed the finest of it, for the wind isn't blowing half so hard
as it was an hour ago."

"Don't be discouraged," said Captain Raymond, sportively; "the waves are
often higher than ever after the wind has subsided."

"Oh, papa, may I go too?" Grace said, in a pleading tone.

"Yes; if you put on your waterproof cloak and overshoes it will not hurt
you to be out for a short time," answered the indulgent father. "Lulu,
don't go without yours."

All were eager for the sight; there was a moment of hasty preparation,
and they trooped out and stood upon the edge of the high bank at the
back of their cottages gazing upon the sea in its, to most of them, new
and terrible aspect; from shore to horizon it was one mass of seething,
boiling waters; far out in the distance the huge waves reared their
great foam-crested fronts and rushed furiously toward the shore, rapidly
chasing each other in till with a tremendous crash and roar they broke
upon the beach, sending up showers of spray, and depositing great flakes
of foam which the wind sent scudding over the sand; and each, as it
retreated, was instantly followed by another and another in unbroken,
endless succession.

Half a mile or more south of 'Sconset there is a shoal (locally called
"the rips") where wind and tide occasionally, coming in opposition,
cause a fierce battle of the waves, a sight well worth a good deal of
exertion to behold.

"Wind and tide are having it out on the rips," the captain presently
remarked. "Let us go down to the beach and get the best view we can of
the conflict."

"Papa, may we go too?" asked Lulu, as the older people hastily made a
move toward the stairway that led to the beach; "oh, do please let us!"

Grace did not speak, but