when I--Oh, Sally, don't you _know_
that I love you?"

"Yes, I know that," replied the girl, with a blush and a little
tremulous smile. "I couldn't help knowing that."

"Have I made it so plain, then?" he asked, in surprise.

"Haven't you followed me ever since you were a staggerer?" asked Sally,
with a simple look.

"O yes, of course--but--but I love you far _far_ more now. In short, I
want to marry you, Sally."

He had reached the culminating point at last. "Well, Charlie, why don't
you ask father's leave?" said the maiden.

"And you agree?" he exclaimed, timidly taking her hand.

"Oh, Charlie," returned Sally, looking up in his face, with an arch
smile, "how stupid you are! Nothing goes into your dear head without
such a deal of hammering. Will you never become wise, and--"

Charlie became wise at last, and stopped her impudent mouth effectively;
but she broke from him and ran into the woods, while he went down to the
village to tell Adams.

Meanwhile Daniel McCoy led Sarah Quintal by a round-about path to the
cliffs above Pitcairn.

Pretty little Sarah was timid, and had a vague suspicion of something
that caused her heart to flutter.

"I say, Sarah," said the bold and stalwart Dan, "did you ever see such a
jolly couple as Toc and his wife before?"

"I never saw any couple before, you know," replied the girl, simply,
"except father Adams and his wife."

"Well, they are an oldish couple," returned Dan, with a laugh; "but it's
my opinion that before long you'll see a good many more couples--young
ones, too."

"Indeed," said Sarah, becoming much interested, for this was the first
time that any young man had ventured to refer to such a subject, though
she and her female companions had often canvassed the possibilities that
surrounded them.

"Yes, indeed," returned Dan. "Let me see, now. There's Charlie
Christian and Otaheitan Sally--"

"Why, how did you come to know _that_?" asked Sarah, in genuine
surprise.

Dan laughed heartily. "Come to know what?" he asked.

"That--that he is fond of Sally," stammered Sarah.

"Why, everybody knows that," returned Dan; "the very gulls must be aware
of it by this time, unless they are geese."

"Yes, of course," said the poor girl, blushing crimson at the thought of
having been led almost to betray her friend's confidences.

"Well, then," continued Dan, "Charlie and Sall bein' so fond o' one
another--"

"I did not say that Sally was fond of Charlie