r what mother had to say on the subject of my going
away.

I found, however, when I got in, that dad had already told the news; and
it came out presently that the matter had really all been arranged
beforehand.

My father, I heard now, had received an offer to sell his plantation, as
my mother told me, but my illness had prevented him from closing with
it; and so the opportunity had slipped. Consequently, as he would still
have to remain at Mount Pleasant for possibly an indefinite time, he had
made up his mind to adhere to his original plan and send me home to
school without further delay. He and my mother had settled to arrange a
passage for me with their old friend Captain Miles even before we
started on our ride to Grenville Bay, dad and the captain having seen
each other in the town and spoken about the matter previously, fixing
the very day of our visit, as the substantial luncheon we had on board
showed.

Now, therefore, that my inclinations chimed in with dad's views and
arrangements, the thing was finally settled; and it may be imagined what
a state of mind my mother and sisters were in about my going. They
hugged and kissed me as if I were going to start that very minute!

Dad said that the _Josephine_ would complete loading her cargo at
Grenville Bay in about a week or ten days. She would then call round at
Saint George's for orders, and I should have to go on board at a
moment's notice, as she might sail almost immediately.

The next few days were all hurry and bustle, everybody being busy in
preparing my traps--my mother and sisters seeing to my outfit, and the
negro servants, with all of whom I was a great favourite, contributing
all sorts of little presents, some of the most unwieldy and useless
character, which they thought would either add to my comfort during the
voyage or were absolutely necessary for "de young massa agwine to
England!"

But, at last, all my belongings, useful and useless alike, were packed
up; and one fine morning in August--I remember well, it was the day
after my birthday--a regular procession set out from Mount Pleasant,
consisting of my mother and dad and my sisters, not omitting myself, the
hero of the occasion.

We were all mounted on horseback; for no wheeled vehicle could overcome
the engineering difficulties of the mountain road, rugged as it was and
intersected by wild gullies and little brawling streamlets at intervals,
the latter sometimes only bridged by a n