d. "I have
been fidgetting about you, ever since you were away."

"I am as glad to see you as your sister can be," Gerald put in. "If
she has fidgetted, when you had only gone a week; you can imagine
what I should have to bear, before the end of a month. I should
have had to move into barracks. Life would have been insupportable,
here."

"I am sure I have said very little about it, Gerald," his wife
said, indignantly.

"No, Carrie, you have not said much, but your aspect has been
generally tragic. You have taken but slight interest in your fowls,
and there has been a marked deterioration in the meals. My remarks
have been frequently unanswered; and you have got into a Sister
Anne sort of way of going upon the roof, and staring out to sea.

"Your sister is a most estimable woman, Bob--I am the last person
who would deny it--but I must admit that she has been a little
trying, during the last week."

Carrie laughed.

"Well, it is only paying you back a little, in your own coin,
Gerald.

"But what has brought you back so soon, Bob? We heard of you, three
days ago; for Gerald went on board a brig that was brought in, as
he heard that it was a prize of the Antelope's; and the officer
told him about your cruise, up to when he had left you."

"Well, there wasn't much to tell, up till then," Bob said, "except
that I was well, and my appetite was good. But there has been a
good lot, since. We have come in with two more good prizes, this
morning, and the brig is going to convoy them back to England."

"Oh, that is all right," Carrie said in a tone of pleasure.

So far, she had been afraid that Bob's return was only a temporary
one; and that he might be setting out again, in a day or two.

"Well, let us hear all about it, Bob," her husband said. "I could
see Carrie was on thorns, lest you were going off again. Now that
she is satisfied, she may be able to listen to you, comfortably."

"Well, we really had some adventures, Gerald. We had a narrow
escape from being captured by a Spanish ship of war, ever so much
stronger than we were. She was got up as a merchantman, and
regularly took us in. We anchored close to her, intending to board
her in the dark. I thought I would swim off and reconnoitre a bit,
before we attacked her; and, of course, I saw at once what she was,
and we cut our cable, and were towed out in the dark. She fired
away at us, but didn't do us any damage.

"The next day, late in the afternoon, we ca