to him to say that he mistook the noise for thunder.

Poor Mary was thus completely insulated--it was impossible to go back,
for the beach was long since covered by the rising tide--to climb up the
hill was exceedingly difficult, if not absolutely impossible to an
active man--to go forward was of course out of the question--there was
every appearance of a cold, driving October storm of wind and rain, to
which she must necessarily be exposed, with no additional clothing
except a shawl, till the tide had ebbed sufficiently to leave the beach
passible, and then the walk round the point was full three miles. In
this dilemma, far from any human habitation, and exposed to the night
wind, which now began to blow extremely chilly, poor Mary seated herself
upon the bank and wept bitterly. After the lapse of a few minutes, she
became more composed, and most fervently and earnestly commending
herself to Divine protection, she endeavored to shelter herself as much
as possible from the wind; for the rain had now ceased, and the clouds
breaking away towards the south-west, gave indications of a clear, cold,
frosty autumnal night.

Relief was, however, much nearer than she expected. Her father, alarmed
at her non-appearance, and the threatening looks of the weather, sallied
forth in quest of her. He had gone but a few rods, when he met Mr.
George Frederic Augustus, with his pocket handkerchief tied over his
hat, and his coat buttoned up to the chin, "striking out," as sailors
say, like a man walking against time.

"Holloa," he shouted, "you Mr. What's-your-name! where the d--l have you
left Mary? a pretty fellow you are to convoy a lady, to bear up before
the wind as soon as the weather looks misty, and leave her to shift for
herself! not but that the girl is a d--d sight better able to take care
of herself than you are to take care of her." All this was said in
perfect good humor, the old tar taking it for granted that his daughter
had "made a harbor," as he expressed it, in one of the neighbor's
houses.

But the abrupt question had startled Millinet, and he answered with much
confusion and hesitation, "I--really, sir, I thought,--I am sure that
is--I thought she was close behind me--she certainly was a few minutes
since."

Captain Bowline, muttering an inverted blessing upon his fashionable
guest, pushed on towards the path over the cliff. He was soon joined by
Kelson, who had come in from fishing but a few minutes before, and