, Sarah Quintal, and his own daughter Dinah,
came tripping up the hill towards him.

These five, ranging from fifteen to nineteen, were fond of rambling
through the woods in company, being not only the older members of the
young flock, but like-minded in many things. Sally was looked up to by
the other four as being the eldest and wisest, as well as the most
beautiful; and truly, the fine clear complexion of the pretty brunette
contrasted well with their fairer skins and golden or light-brown locks.

"We came up to have a chat with you, father," said Sally, as they drew
near. "Are you too busy to be bothered with us?"

"Never too busy to chat with such dear girls," said the gallant seaman,
throwing down his piece of red chalk, and taking one of Sally's hands in
his. "Sit down, Sall; sit down, May, on the other side--there. Now,
what have you come to chat about?"

"About that dear _Topaz_, of course, and that darling Captain Folger,
and Jack Brace, and all the rest of them," answered Sarah Quintal, with
sparkling eyes.

"Hallo, Sarah! you've sent your heart away with them, I fear," said
Adams.

"Not quite, but nearly," returned Sarah. "I would give anything if the
whole crew would only have stayed with us altogether."

"Oh! how charming! delightful! _so_ nice!" exclaimed three of the
others. Sally said nothing, but gave a little smile, which sent a
sparkle from her pearly teeth that harmonised well with the gleam of her
laughter-loving eyes.

"No doubt," said Adams, with a peculiar laugh; "but, I say, girls, you
must not go on thinking for ever about that ship. Why, it is six months
or more since it left us, and you are all as full of it as if it had
sailed but yesterday."

"How can we help it, father?" said Sally. "It is about the most
wonderful thing that has happened since we were born, and you can't
expect us to get it out of our heads easily."

"And how can we help thinking, and talking too," said Bessy Mills,
"about all the new and strange things that Jack Brace related to us?"

"Besides, father," said Dinah, "you are quite as bad as we are, for you
talk about nothing else now, almost, except Lord Nelson and the battles
of the Nile and Trafalgar."

"Come, come, Di; don't be hard on me. I don't say much about them
battles now."

"Indeed you do," cried May Christian, "and it is only last night that I
heard you muttering something about Trafalgar in your sleep, and you
suddenly broke out with