on, and so
it was of no use for young Matthew to say they were likely to bear away
a token from the Susan. She was one among the damsels of colour, and
free of her tokens, especially to the spotless.

How it occurred, nobody saw; though everybody saw how naturally it must
occur for the white ducks to 'have it in the eye' by the time they had
been on board a quarter of an hour. Weyburn got some fun out of
them, for a counterbalance to a twitch of sentimental regret scarcely
decipherable, as that the last view of him should bear a likeness of
Browny's recollection of her first.

A glorious morning of flushed open sky and sun on sea chased all small
thoughts out of it. The breeze was from the west, and the Susan, lightly
laden, took the heave of smooth rollers with a flowing current-curtsey
in the motion of her speed. Fore-sail and aft were at their gentle
strain; her shadow rippled fragmentarily along to the silver rivulet and
boat of her wake. Straight she flew to the ball of fire now at spring
above the waters, and raining red gold on the line of her bows. By
comparison she was an ugly yawl, and as the creature of wind and wave
beautiful.

They passed an English defensive fort, and spared its walls, in
obedience to Matthew Shale's good counsel that they should forbear
from sneezing. Little Collett pointed to the roof of his mother's house
twenty paces rearward of a belt of tamarisks, green amid the hollowed
yellows of shorebanks yet in shade, crumbling to the sands. Weyburn was
attracted by a diminutive white tent, of sentry-box shape, evidently a
bather's, quite as evidently a fair bather's. He would have to walk on
some way for his dip. He remarked to little Collett that ladies going
into the water half-dressed never have more than half a bath. His arms
and legs flung out contempt of that style of bathing, exactly in old
Matey's well-remembered way. Half a mile off shore, the Susan was
put about to flap her sails, and her boat rocked with the passengers.
Turning from a final cheer to friendly Matthew, Weyburn at the rudder
espied one of those unenfranchised ladies in marine uniform issuing
through the tent-slit. She stepped firmly, as into her element. A plain
look at her, and a curious look, and an intent look fixed her fast, and
ran the shock on his heart before he knew of a guess. She waded, she
dipped; a head across the breast of the waters was observed: this one
of them could swim. She was making for sea, a st