the following day and the day after, the gale lasting
until the close of the third; when it completed its course and died away
as suddenly as it began, winding up with a grand thunderstorm, in which
the lightning flashed and the thunder pealed through the heavens in a
manner whose like, the Captain affirmed, he had never seen on that coast
before.

"No, never, ma'am," cried he, emphasising the assertion with a thump of
his malacca cane that almost made a hole in Mrs Gilmour's best drawing-
room carpet. "Not since I first joined the service at Portsmouth here,
forty years ago, or more!"

Satisfied apparently with the `blow' it thus had, the weather
subsequently was all that could be desired; setting in bright and fine,
while it was warm enough to be almost tropical.

Thenceforth, therefore, there was no more confinement to the house for
the young people.

Bob started off early every morning across the common to the beach,
where, under the superintendence of the Captain, he and Dick were taught
how to swim, the boys, it may be mentioned, learning the art all the
more quickly from the fact of the old sailor's telling them that "until
they were able to keep afloat," to use his own words, "he'd think twice
before he would take 'em afloat!"

So, as both were anxious to go out rowing and sailing, this threat acted
as a spur to their efforts.

Nellie, too, had a bathe each day; and, much she liked bobbing up and
down in the usual girl-fashion from the end of the rope of the machine.
By and by, also, when she had gained a little courage, she learnt to
swim like Bob, whose boastings on the point had put her on her mettle;
and the bathing-woman informed Mrs Gilmour one fine morning, when she
accompanied Nellie to the beach and entered into conversation with her
teacher, that she was "the smartest young leddy to learn as ever was."

This fact Miss Nell at once proved by swimming there and then some forty
yards, more than double the distance Master Bob could accomplish, in
spite of all his `tall talk,' after a similar period of tuition.

"You ladies can always beat us if you only try," said the Captain
gallantly, when he heard this. "I believe a woman can do anything she
likes."

"You're too complimentary, I'm afraid," remarked Mrs Gilmour. "You
don't mean all you say."

"Don't I, by Jove!" replied he. "Lucky for us men you do not set your
mind to it; for, if you did, no poor fellow would ever have a chance of
comma