nd that will only make it so much the more dangerous
to its object. At all events, I feel a deep conviction that he is
altogether unworthy of you. This is a bold expression of opinion on an
acquaintance of a day; but there are such reasons for it, that a man of
my time of life, if unprejudiced, can scarcely be deceived."

"All this is very singular, sir, and I had almost used your own word of
'alarming,'" replied Mildred, slightly agitated by curiosity, but more
amused. "I shall be as frank as yourself, and say that you judge the
gentleman harshly. Mr. Rotherham may not have all the qualities that a
clergyman ought to possess, but he is far from being a bad man. Good or
bad, however, it is not probable that he will carry his transient
partiality any farther than he has gone already."

"Mr. Rotherham!--I have neither thought nor spoken of the pious vicar at
all!"

Mildred was now sadly confused. Mr. Rotherham had made his proposals for
her, only the day before, and he had been mildly, but firmly refused.
The recent occurrence was naturally uppermost in her mind; and the
conjecture that her rejected suitor, under the influence of wine, might
have communicated the state of his wishes, or what he fancied to be the
state of his wishes, to her companion, was so very easy, that she had
fallen into the error, almost without reflection.

"I beg pardon, sir--I really imagined," the confused girl answered;
"but, it was a natural mistake for me to suppose you meant Mr.
Rotherham, as he is the only person who has ever spoken to my mother on
the subject of any thing like a preference for me."

"I should have less fear of those who spoke to your mother, Mildred,
than of those who spoke only to _you_. As I hate ambiguity, however, I
will say, at once, that my allusion was to Mr. Wychecombe."

"Mr. Wychecombe, Admiral Bluewater!"--and the veteran felt the arm that
leaned on him tremble violently, a sad confirmation of even more than he
apprehended, or he would not have been so abrupt. "Surely--surely--the
warning you mean, cannot, _ought_ not to apply to a gentleman of Mr.
Wychecombe's standing and character!"

"Such is the world, Miss Dutton, and we old seamen, in particular, get
to know it, whether willingly or not. My sudden interest in you, the
recollection of former, but painful scenes, and the events of the day,
have made me watchful, and, you will add, bold--but I am resolved to
speak, even at the risk of disobliging you f