ced out of the
room," said I.

"Have you, indeed? Now you can write that I have bounced in. There's a
nice cold chicken down-stairs," etc., etc.

* * * * *

_August 14th._--This afternoon I sent for a light wagon, and treated
Miss Blunt to a drive. We went successively over the three beaches. What
a time we had, coming home! I shall never forget that hard trot over
Weston's Beach. The tide was very low; and we had the whole glittering,
weltering strand to ourselves. There was a heavy blow yesterday, which
had not yet subsided; and the waves had been lashed into a magnificent
fury. Trot, trot, trot, trot, we trundled over the hard sand. The sound
of the horse's hoofs rang out sharp against the monotone of the
thunderous surf, as we drew nearer and nearer to the long line of the
cliffs. At our left, almost from the lofty zenith of the pale evening
sky to the high western horizon of the tumultuous dark-green sea, was
suspended, so to speak, one of those gorgeous vertical sunsets that
Turner loved so well. It was a splendid confusion of purple and green
and gold,--the clouds flying and flowing in the wind like the folds of a
mighty banner borne by some triumphal fleet whose prows were not visible
above the long chain of mountainous waves. As we reached the point where
the cliffs plunge down upon the beach, I pulled up, and we remained for
some moments looking out along the low, brown, obstinate barrier at
whose feet the impetuous waters were rolling themselves into powder.

* * * * *

_August 17th._--This evening, as I lighted my bedroom candle, I saw that
the Captain had something to say to me. So I waited below until the old
man and his daughter had performed their usual picturesque embrace, and
the latter had given me that hand-shake and that smile which I never
failed to exact.

"Johnson has got his discharge," said the old man, when he had heard,
his daughter's door close up-stairs.

"What do you mean?"

He pointed with his thumbs to the room above, where we heard, through
the thin partition, the movement of Miss Blunt's light step.

"You mean that he has proposed to Miss Esther?"

The Captain nodded.

"And has been refused?"

"Flat."

"Poor fellow!" said I, very honestly. "Did he tell you himself?"

"Yes, with tears in his eyes. He wanted me to speak for him. I told him
it was no use. Then he began to say hard things of my poor girl."

"