tward things; but her spirit
was chastened,--a new light burned within her. Not that she loved
Walter less, but she loved Amos more; her heart was now more in unison
with his, and she could now appreciate the delicacy, and deep
tenderness, and consideration of his self-sacrificing love towards
herself, which she had in time past so cruelly flung back upon him, and
occasionally almost resented. So that now she felt it to be both her
duty and her privilege to mark and copy the nobility of his unpretending
but sterling character.

Such were brother and sister as they cantered off along the sands on the
morning when Amos set off to call on and consult Dr Atkin about his
mother. It was a charming summer day. The sea was sparkling in its
numberless wavelets; a gentle breeze blew with just so much pressure in
the faces of the riders as to add vigour to their spirits as they
plunged forward against it. Sea-birds wheeled round and round before
them, and everything spoke of brightness and enjoyment. The five miles,
partly along the sands and partly along roads skirting the edge of the
cliffs, and affording a magnificent extent of sea-view, were soon
completed. Walter was full of life and fun, only regretting that he
could not work up his sister into a mood as buoyant as his own.
However, he did his best, and satisfied himself that it was only natural
that the pressure of old sorrows could not yet be wholly taken off from
Julia's heart.

And now they were come to the outskirts of the little town. It was the
height of the season, and gaiety and frolic seemed masters of the place.
Old and young were to be met with at every turn, and, with the
exception of the manifest invalids, all looked radiant with smiles, as
though determined--and who could blame them?--to extract as much
pleasure out of their little period of holiday as the place and its
occupations could afford them. It so happened that the watering-place
was this day flooded with one or two large arrivals of excursionists.
These had evidently come down with the intention of making the very most
of their time, and doing the whole thing thoroughly. Walter and his
sister were highly entertained by watching some of these excursionists.
Here, for instance, was the family of a worthy mechanic who were intent
on getting the utmost possible out of the occasion that time and means
would allow. Father, mother, children old and young, including a baby,
with the wife's old f