o the captain, nodded at us, and Parsons
himself sung out quietly down the table:

"I believe, Mr. and Mrs. Barclay, this will be your last meal aboard
the _Carthusian_."

I sprang with excitement to my feet.

"Anything in sight, captain?"

"Ay, a steamer--apparently a yacht. Plenty of time," added he, rising,
nevertheless, leisurely as he spoke, on which all the passengers broke
from the table--so speedily dull grows the sea-life, so quickly do
people learn how to make much of the most trivial incidents upon the
ocean--and in a few moments we were all on deck.

"Yes, by Jove, Grace, there she is, sure enough!" cried I, standing at
the side with my darling and pointing forward, where, still some miles
distant, a point or two on the starboard bow, was a steamer, showing
very small indeed at the extremity of the long, far-reaching line of
smoke that was pouring from her. A passenger handed me a telescope; I
levelled it, and then clearly distinguished a yacht-like structure,
with a yellow funnel, apparently schooner-rigged, with a sort of
sparkling about her hull, whether from gilt, or brass, or glass, that
instantly suggested the pleasure vessel.

It was still the same bright, joyous day that had shone over us all the
morning. The sea was of a dark, rich blue, and the run of it
cradle-like, with a summer-day lightness and grace in the arching and
breaking of the surge. The ship, aslant in the wind, was sailing
finely, with a slow, regular, stately swing of her towering fabric of
canvas to windward, as she softly rolled on the floating slant of the
seas. Turning my face aft, I saw the second mate and an apprentice, or
midshipman in buttons, in the act of hoisting a string of colours to
the gaff-end. The flags soared in a graceful semi-circle, and the
whole ship looked brave in a breath with the pulling of the many-dyed
bunting, each flag delicate as gossamer against the blue of the sky,
and the whole show of the deepest interest as the language of the
sea--as the ship's own voice!

Had we been cast away, and in the direst peril, I could scarcely have
awaited the approach of that steamer with more breathless expectation.
Where was she bound to? Would she receive us? Should we accept her
offer to take us aboard, though she might be heading to some port wide
of the place we desired to reach, such as Ireland or the North of
Scotland? I could think of nothing else. The captain stood aft
watching her, now and