to bake, and that we were all the unfortunate pigeons
destined to be stewed therein. "Then," said the matter-of-fact little
Winny, "we must put all our feet together, and stick them up in the
middle." One day, when we happened to be in that indescribable state--a
sort of half consciousness of what was passing around--scarcely knowing
whether we were dreaming or waking, we heard a knock at the door, and
the hot but smiling face of our captain shewed itself. He was
immediately assailed with innumerable questions. Was the heat going? Was
the wind rising? When were we to go on? Why did he not whistle for a
breeze? Where could we get out of the way of the sun? Was it possible to
get into a shade? Could he give us anything to cool us? What would
happen if we all went on being baked in this manner? In fact, the
purport of his visit to the saloon at such an unusual hour was all but
lost sight of in the midst of these queries when I asked him if anything
was the matter. "I only wish to look at your barometer; something has
happened to mine," was his reply. So amidst an uproar of young voices,
with pullings, tuggings, and caresses, for he was a prodigious
favourite, he accomplished his object. I was surprised to see such an
expression of concern cross his countenance as he gazed at it, and
questioning him thereon, he answered, "Why, Madam, I find both the
barometers tell the same tale; therefore, what I imagined was owing to a
fault in mine, I must now impute to some extraordinary change in the
weather."

_Gatty._--"I hope then it will be hard frost."

_Felix._--"Or a storm, Gatty. I want the wind to blow, and the waves to
be mountains high."

_Lilly_ (yawning).--"I wish something would blow, and I wish I had two
little slave girls to fan me as they do in India."

_Zoe._--"I don't think I should; they would be so hot themselves, poor
things, I should be quite sorry all the time."

_Oscar._--"I vote for a hard frost, like Gatty, then we should have such
splendid skating on the sea."

_Serena._--"But, supposing (which I believe is no supposition, but a
fact) that the sea freezes in waves, we could not then skate."

_Gatty._--"Oh, don't talk any more of ice and frost, it makes one hotter
still to think of the contrast."

I proceeded to enquire of the captain what change he expected.

_Capt._--"Madam, it must be a storm of some kind; I have been becalmed
very often, but I never endured such profound stillness and heat as