ed Bob,
in a state of great excitement. "It's the Captain!"

"Sure, you don't mean that, my dear," said Mrs Gilmour, equally
flurried, rising at once from the seat she had just taken at the head of
the table. "Is it him, really?"

"Oh, yes, auntie," replied Bob, returning to his post of observation in
the corner of the window. "There he is coming along the terrace, with
Dick at his heels."

"Indeed, now?" said Mrs Gilmour, who had come up to Bob's side. "Let
me look for meself. Sure and you're right. It's him and none other,
and he's coming along at a grand pace, too!"

"Hurrah!" shouted Bob. "Isn't it jolly, auntie?"

"Very jolly," agreed Mrs Gilmour, more sedately, laughing at Bob's
ecstasies, the boy, like most youngsters, being all extremes. "I call
it very nice of him, Nell, don't you?"

"Delightful!" chimed in Nellie, catching hold of Rover's fore-paws and
making him dance round the room with her in high glee, Rover barking to
express his sympathy with her excitement. "How good he is--I mean
Captain Dresser; not you, Master Doggy!"

"It is well we know what you do mean," said her aunt smiling, as Nell
and Bob, with Rover dashing madly after their heels rushed into the hall
to open the door. "Ah, the young flibberty-gibbets!"

In company with the Captain and Dick, as it still continued fine, all
presently sallied down to the sea, where the young holiday-makers were
much surprised at the size of the waves, which seemed much bigger on
nearer view than they had appeared from the drawing-room windows in the
morning.

Now they were so close to the waves that the spray splashed over the
little party; and, it being high-water, the incoming tide, aided by the
stiff south-easterly wind, which was still blowing half a gale, rolled
the billows in upon the shore, dashing them against the sea-wall and
rampart at the back of the castle with a mighty din, and breaking them
into sheets of foam that flew over the moats and fortifications,
reaching to the Common beyond--the spent water, driven back by the rocky
embankment, sullenly retiring, a seething sea of soapsuds, as if Davy
Jones were having a grand "washing-day."

Much as this sight pleased them, strange and wonderful to their
unaccustomed eyes, they were not allowed long to enjoy it; for, the
Captain declaring that another squall was coming, presently made them
hurry back to the house, laden, however, with sea-wrack and spindrift.

It was the same on