h the glass door, take the child in his arms (who offered no
objection), and bend over Mrs. Raybrock, administering soft words of
consolation.

"Though what he finds to say, unless he's telling her that 't'll soon be
over, or that most people is so at first, or that it'll do her good
afterward, I cannot imaginate!" was the captain's reflection as he
followed the lovers.

He had not far to follow them, since it was but a short descent down the
stony ways to the cottage of Kitty's father. But short as the distance
was, it was long enough to enable the captain to observe that he was fast
becoming the village Ogre; for there was not a woman standing working at
her door, or a fisherman coming up or going down, who saw Young Raybrock
unhappy and little Kitty in tears, but he or she instantly darted a
suspicious and indignant glance at the captain, as the foreigner who must
somehow be responsible for this unusual spectacle. Consequently, when
they came into Tregarthen's little garden,--which formed the platform
from which the captain had seen Kitty peeping over the wall,--the captain
brought to, and stood off and on at the gate, while Kitty hurried to hide
her tears in her own room, and Alfred spoke with her father, who was
working in the garden. He was a rather infirm man, but could scarcely be
called old yet, with an agreeable face and a promising air of making the
best of things. The conversation began on his side with great
cheerfulness and good humour, but soon became distrustful, and soon
angry. That was the captain's cue for striking both into the
conversation and the garden.

"Morning, sir!" said Captain Jorgan. "How do you do?"

"The gentleman I am going away with," said the young fisherman to
Tregarthen.

"O!" returned Kitty's father, surveying the unfortunate captain with a
look of extreme disfavour. "I confess that I can't say I am glad to see
you."

"No," said the captain, "and, to admit the truth, that seems to be the
general opinion in these parts. But don't be hasty; you may think better
of me by-and-by."

"I hope so," observed Tregarthen.

"Wa'al, _I_ hope so," observed the captain, quite at his ease; "more than
that, I believe so,--though you don't. Now, Mr. Tregarthen, you don't
want to exchange words of mistrust with me; and if you did, you couldn't,
because I wouldn't. You and I are old enough to know better than to
judge against experience from surfaces and appearances; and if you
hav