e at last.

"Go on the water?"

"Yes. It's only to St. Helen's. Short and sharp."

"Do you grudge me the nourishment my poor system has just received, my
son?"

"Oh, bother your system! Put on your hat, and come along. I'll put you on
board in my boat."

"Richard! I have already paid the penalty of them who are condemned to
come to an island. I will go with you to the edge of the sea, and I will
meet you there when you return, and take up the Tale of the Tritons: but,
though I forfeit the pleasure of Mrs. Richard's company, I refuse to quit
the land."

"Yes, oh, Mr. Harley!" Lucy broke from her husband, "and I will stay with
you, if you please. I don't want to go among those people, and we can see
it all from the shore.

"Dearest! I don't want to go. You don't mind? Of course, I will go if you
wish, but I would so much rather stay;" and she lengthened her plea in
her attitude and look to melt the discontent she saw gathering.

Adrian protested that she had much better go; that he could amuse himself
very well till their return, and so forth; but she had schemes in her
pretty head, and held to it to be allowed to stay in spite of Lord
Mountfalcon's disappointment, cited by Richard, and at the great risk of
vexing her darling, as she saw. Richard pished, and glanced
contemptuously at Adrian. He gave way ungraciously.

"There, do as you like. Get your things ready to leave this evening. No,
I'm not angry."--Who could be? he seemed as he looked up from her modest
fondling to ask Adrian, and seized the indemnity of a kiss on her
forehead, which, however, did not immediately disperse the shade of
annoyance he felt.

"Good heavens!" he exclaimed. "Such a day as this, and a fellow refuses
to come on the water! Well, come along to the edge of the sea." Adrian's
angelic quality had quite worn off to him. He never thought of devoting
himself to make the most of the material there was: but somebody else
did, and that fair somebody succeeded wonderfully in a few short hours.
She induced Adrian to reflect that the baronet had only to see her, and
the family muddle would be smoothed at once. He came to it by degrees;
still the gradations were rapid. Her manner he liked; she was certainly a
nice picture: best of all, she was sensible. He forgot the farmer's niece
in her, she was so very sensible. She appeared really to understand that
it was a woman's duty to know how to cook.

But the difficulty was, by what means the ba