to room, when alone and when occasion required, without in the
least degree losing any of their stiffness or formality, so that we do
not use the terms "rush," "rushed," or "rushing" inappropriately.
Nevertheless, it may also be remarked that they never acted in a rapid
or impulsive way in company, however small in numbers or unceremonious
in character the company might be--always excepting the servant-girl and
the cat, to whose company, from long habit, they had become used, and
therefore indifferent.

The sisters were on their knees, stuffing various articles into a large
trunk, and Ailie was looking on, by way of helping, with very red and
swollen eyes, and the girl was still absent in quest of eggs, when a
succession of sounding blows were administered to the green door, and a
number of gruff voices were heard conversing without.

"_There_!" cried Martha and Jane, with bitter emphasis, looking in each
other's faces as if to say, "We knew it. Before that girl was sent away
for these eggs, we each separately and privately prophesied that they
would arrive, and that we should have to open the door. And you see, so
it has happened, and we are not ready!"

But there was no time for remark. The case was desperate. Both sisters
felt it to be so, and acted accordingly, while Ailie, having been
forbidden to open the door, sat down on her trunk, and looked on in
surprise. They sprang up, washed their hands simultaneously in the same
basin, with the same piece of soap broken in two; dried them with the
same towel, darted to the mirror, put on two identically similar clean
tall caps, leaped down-stairs, opened the door with slow dignity of
demeanour, and received their visitors in the hall with a calmness and
urbanity of manner that contrasted rather strangely with their flushed
countenances and heaving bosoms.

"Hallo! Ailie!" exclaimed the captain, as his daughter pulled down his
head to be kissed. "Why, you take a fellow all aback, like a white
squall. Are you ready, my pet? Kit stowed and anchor tripped? Come
this way, and let us talk about it. Dear me, Martha, you and Jane--look
as if you had been running a race, eh? Here are my messmates come to
talk a bit with you. My sisters, Martha and Jane--Dr Hopley." (Dr
Hopley bowed politely.) "My first mate, Mr Millons" (Mr Millons also
bowed, somewhat loosely); "and Rokens--Tim Rokens, my chief harpooner."
(Mr Rokens pulled his forelock, and threw back his left l