t my inability to
answer it in the same fashion," I returned, not without a certain
appreciation of his handling of the situation.

"Madame," I said to his lady, who had preserved an admirable
composure throughout this passage at arms, "I owe you a thousand
thanks for your kindness, and a thousand regrets should I be the
cause of any misunderstanding between you and your husband;" whereupon
I raised her hand, and kissing it ceremoniously, I effected a not
undignified retreat.

So the summer of '57 dragged on, when one warm afternoon in
September--it was the 25th of the month--I wandered down to the
landing-place to see the arrival of a ship from France that had
slipped through the feeble blockade attempted by the English. I
lazily watched the captain and others disembark with an uninterested
eye until among them I caught sight of a lad of about fifteen years,
whose dress and countenance were certainly English. As he came up
with the others I advanced, and laying my hand on his shoulder,
said,

"You are not French, my lad?"

"Oh no, sir," he answered, looking full at me with an open, engaging
smile; "I am English."

"I thought so. What is your name?"

"Christopher Routh."

"Good God! Kit! I am Captain Geraldine!"

CHAPTER IX

"JOY AND SORROW ARE NEXT-DOOR NEIGHBOURS"

As I had not been in the habit of asking favours of my superiors,
permission was readily given that the English lad should be allowed
to share my quarters with me.

I set my servant to work arranging for his comfort, and we sate in
my little garden, I dying with curiosity to hear what lucky chance
had blown him hither.

"Where is your mother, Kit?" I asked.

At this his eyes filled and his lips trembled, and for some moments
he could not reply, during which I was unable to suppress a selfish
hope that perchance my time of probation had ended.

"Mother is lost," he answered, at last. "But let me start fair."
I was pleased to mark the boy spake with an easy address, for I
hate the taint of servility above all things. "Ever since I had
grown up I have been begging her to let me get to sea, and at length
she yielded, in part to my entreaties, and in part to the wishes
of some members of The Society who had settled in Boston, in the
Province of Massachusetts, and agreed to come out to them. For me,
anything answered that would give me my wish, and I did not see
that it mattered whether she was among Methodists in England, or
among Met