ew arrival there.

'Oh!' she exclaimed, 'what a beautiful large yacht!'

The youth at the window shrugged his shoulders.

'Well, you _are_ a fool,' he said politely.

'Thank you,' she replied.

'I'll tell you what--it's a man-o'-war brig,' continued he, with an air
of importance. 'And what's more, I hope the fellow knows where he's
coming to. I don't see them taking any soundings; and the notion of
bringing a man-o'-war in here----'

He went and got an opera-glass, and returned to the window. He would
make observations; perhaps, if need were, he might put off in a small
boat and offer to assist in the navigation of the ship.

'Young women,' he exclaimed, suddenly, 'a light strikes me. That's the
_Fly-by-night_.'

'You pretend you can make out the ship's name at that distance,' said
the eldest sister, with the slightest of smiles.

'Not with the glass, but by the intuition of genius,' he retorted,
coolly. 'What's more, I can tell you the name of her commanding
officer, Miss Nails. Which his initials are Francis Holford King.'

'King!' said his mother with but little interest. 'Oh yes; I remember.'

'And he's coming to pay you a visit; that's what's the matter,'
continued the youth, still with the glass raised. 'Nails, you'd better
hide that novel, and pretend you've been sewing. Beauty [this was an
alternative name for the second sister], are you at the proper angle?
Baby, smooth out your pinafore.'

'Thomas, I insist on your treating your sisters with more respect!' his
mother said, angrily.

'Well, I should almost like to be that fellow,' continued Thomas, with
perfect good-humour. 'Fancy: at five-and-twenty, commanding a ten-gun
brig! He has brains, that chap; not like the others that come fooling
around here. Why, old Stratherne told me all about him. They made him
a Lieutenant when he was just of age.'

'With your abilities, Tom,' said his eldest sister, 'I suppose you'll
be commanding one of her Majesty's ships, too, when you're
five-and-twenty.'

He was not at all crushed by the sarcasm.

'My abilities,' he said, still looking through the glass, 'are, I know,
remarkable; but I think, on the whole, a rich widow will be more in my
line of country.'

By this time all the girls had come to the window to watch the busy
scene without--the small sailing-boats and rowing-boats passing and
repassing under the bows and stern of the brig, their occupants staring
at the guns in the open port