e sky was lit up by a stray gleam or two from the
long-since risen sun, who, though trying to hide himself behind a bank
of blue-black clouds, was not quite able to conceal his whereabouts.

Out at sea opposite, facing south and almost on the horizon line, a lot
of vessels could be seen scudding down Channel, under short canvas but
outward bound, just coming in sight beyond Saint Helen's to make sure of
their landfall and then disappearing the next moment behind the Isle of
Wight, which shut them out from view; while, to the left, snugly
sheltered under the lee of the Ryde hills, several others had run in and
anchored off the Motherbank, waiting for a change of wind before
proceeding on their voyage up, along the coast, to the river--`the
river' of the world, the Thames!

As Bob and Nellie gazed out, taking in all these varied details of the
scene by degrees, they could not help being pleased, everything was so
novel; but, they saw something else beyond the prospect which cast `a
damper' over their spirits, theoretically as well as practically.

This was the rain, which came in squalls, the smart showers hurtling
down in pattering intensity, momentarily shutting out the sea and its
surroundings from sight; while the swollen raindrops dashed against the
window-panes like hail, trying, like the whirling storm-blast, to force
a passage into every nook and cranny that lay open to attack.

"Oh dear!" sighed Bob dismally, his nose pressed like a piece of putty
against the glass. "It's awful rain, Nell; I don't think it will ever
stop!"

"Oh dear!" sighed Nellie, in responsive echo; but, just then their aunt
bustled into the room, her face the picture of good-humour, in marked
contrast to theirs, and she caught the mournful exclamation--"Oh dear!"

"Why, what's the matter?" asked Mrs Gilmour, in a cheerful tone, on
their turning round as she entered. "To look at you both, one would
think that something dreadful had happened!"

"It's raining," said Bob, in a melancholy tone. "It's raining, auntie!"

"So I can see," retorted Mrs Gilmour. "Haven't I got eyes of my own,
sure, me dear?"

"But we shan't be able to go out, auntie," cried Nellie, in the most
broken-hearted way. "We shan't be able to go out!"

"You need not be so disconsolate about that, dearie," said the other
smiling. "It may not rain all day; and, if so, you'll be able to get
out between the breaks when it holds up. But, there's Sarah ringing the
b