lm took his place a little below, leaning on his elbow--for the
slope was steep--and looking up at her. Thus they waited the sunrise.

Was it minutes or only moments passed in that silence, whose speech was
the soft ripple of the sea on the sand? Neither could have answered the
question. At length said Malcolm, "I think of changing my service, my
lady."

"Indeed, Malcolm!"

"Yes, my lady. My--mistress does not like to turn me away, but she is
tired of me, and does not want me any longer."

"But you would never think of finally forsaking a fisherman's life for
that of a servant, surely, Malcolm?"

"What would become of Kelpie, my lady?" rejoined Malcolm, smiling to
himself.

"Ah!" said Clementina bewildered, "I had not thought of her. But you
cannot take her with you," she added, coming a little to her senses.

"There is nobody about the place who could, or rather who would, do
anything with her. They would sell her. I have enough to buy her, and
perhaps somebody might not object to the encumbrance, but hire me and her
together. _Your_ groom wants a coachman's place, my lady."

"Oh, Malcolm! do you mean you would be _my_ groom?" cried Clementina,
pressing her palms together.

"If you would have me, my lady; but I have heard you say you would have
none but a married man."

"But, Malcolm, don't you know anybody that would--Could you not find some
one--some lady--that--I mean, why shouldn't you be a married man?"

"For a very good and to me rather sad reason, my lady: the only woman I
could marry or should ever be able to marry would not have me. She is very
kind and very noble, but--It is preposterous, the thing is too
preposterous: I dare not have the presumption to ask her."

Malcolm's voice trembled as he spoke, and a few moments' pause followed,
during which he could not lift his eyes. The whole heaven seemed pressing
down their lids. The breath which he modelled into words seemed to come in
little billows.

But his words had raised a storm in Clementina's bosom. A cry broke from
her as if driven forth by pain. She called up all the energy of her nature
and stilled herself to speak. The voice that came was little more than a
sob-scattered whisper, but to her it seemed as if all the world must hear.
"Oh, Malcolm," she panted, "I _will_ try to be good and wise. Don't marry
anybody else--_anybody_, I mean; but come with Kelpie and be my groom, and
wait and see if I don't grow better."

Malcolm leaped to h