d that
my happiness depends on becoming your wife, he will not withhold his
consent."

"I wish that I could feel as little anxiety about Harry as I do about
myself, and yet if our father can be induced to see May, I think she
will do more to soften his heart than all Harry or I can plead in her
favour. During the few hours I spent in her company, she completely won
mine."

As they rode up to the house, two servants, who had evidently been on
the watch for them, hastened down the steps to take their horses.
Headland helped Julia to dismount, and led her into the hall.

Lady Castleton hurried out of the drawing-room to meet them.

"Sir Ralph arrived this afternoon. We have been very anxious about you;
we could not understand your message. Where is Harry? What has
happened, Captain Headland?"

Headland explained that a young Hurlston fisherman had been kidnapped by
a band of smugglers, that he and Harry, indignant at the outrage, had
set off in the hopes of recovering him, and that while he had returned
on shore, Harry had continued the chase on board the cutter.

"Harry was scarcely called upon to go through so much risk and
inconvenience for the sake of a stranger," observed Lady Castleton.
"His father was much disappointed at not seeing him on his arrival."

Julia pleaded that Harry had done what he thought to be right, and then
went in to see her father, who was reclining on the sofa, with his
fingers between the pages of a book closed in his hand. He received her
even more coldly than usual; he never exhibited much warmth of feeling
even to her. She had again to recount what had happened, and he
expressed the utmost surprise at Harry's acting in so extraordinary a
manner. He did not allude to her ride home with Captain Headland,
though she every moment thought he would speak of it. She excused
herself for leaving him as soon as possible on the plea that she must
change her riding-habit.

When Headland at last entered the drawing-room, the baronet received him
with marked coldness, and made no allusion to his having been absent.
The young captain could not help feeling that Sir Ralph did not regard
him with a favourable eye.

Julia came down only for a few minutes before the usual hour for
retiring for the night had arrived, and Headland had no opportunity of
speaking to her.

CHAPTER THIRTY SEVEN.

NO NEWS OF THE CUTTER.

When Sir Ralph entered the breakfast-room next morning, Headland coul