with outstretched
hand and a beaming face.

"My _dear_ Leicester, how are you?" Walford exclaimed with effusion, as
he grasped the seaman's hand and wrung it heartily. "How glad I am to
see you. When did you arrive?"

"This afternoon only," was the answer. "Have you been to `Sea View'
lately? There is nothing wrong there, I hope?"

"Wrong, my dear fellow! No. Why do you ask?"

"Well, when you rounded the corner just now you were walking at such a
terrific pace, and looked so much as though you were greatly upset about
something, that I feared there had been an accident at `Sea View,' and
that--"

"That I was hurrying off for the nearest doctor, eh? Well, you may set
your mind at rest, my dear boy; nothing _is_ the matter. I have just
left Mrs Walford's, and both she and Lucy are in excellent health, I am
glad to say. It is deuced kind of you, though, to take such a warm
interest in them, and I thank you for it with all my heart. You are a
prime favourite there, I can tell you, my lad; I have been frightfully
jealous of you for a long time, but now I shall never be so any more.
Lucy--darling girl that she is--has had pity upon me at last, and has
condescended to set all my fears at rest; so you may congratulate me if
you like."

"Upon her having--accepted you as--as--her future husband?" gasped
Leicester, white to the very lips.

"Exactly; I _knew_ you would be glad to hear it, being an old friend of
hers," was the reply. "But mum's the word for the present. Our
regiment is ordered away to the West Indies at once, so Lucy wishes the
engagement to be kept secret until I can return home to claim her.
Well, I must be off; you are going to `Sea View,' I suppose? Don't
mention our conversation there, please; I should not like Lucy to know
that I have already been prating of the engagement; if she feels
inclined to tell you of it herself, of course that is another thing."

"All right, I'll not say a word about it, you may rest assured,"
answered Leicester, as he suffered his hand to be clasped in farewell;
"in fact, I don't suppose I shall have an opportunity to mention it to
them; I am not going to call there to-night, and I may not have time to
call there at all, as I shall be very busy during the next few days.
I--I am--thinking of giving up the _Industry_ and going--somewhere--
abroad, myself."

"Are you?" ejaculated Walford with great heartiness. "Well done; I am
glad to hear you say so. A fell