her,' cried my sister, `don't go out again to-night.'

"`Nonsense!' he said, roughly; `do you think I'm a baby, that can't take
care of myself?'

"My mother said nothing; my sister looked at her lover with an imploring
glance. I shall never forget it; there was both entreaty and despair in
her eyes. He hesitated a moment, but my father was already out of the
door, and loudly calling on him to follow.

"`I'll be back again in a few minutes,' he said; `it won't do to cross
your father to-night.'

"Ah, those few minutes! She went to the door. It was a most lovely
night; there was a flood of moonlight poured out upon land and sea. All
that God had made was as beautiful as if sin had never spoiled it. Just
a little to the right of our cottage the ground rose up suddenly, and
sloped up about a quarter of a mile to the top of a high cliff, from the
edge of which was a sheer descent, almost unbroken, to the beach, of
several hundred feet. It was a favourite spot of observation, for
vessels could be seen miles off.

"My sister watched her father and lover in the clear moonlight to the
top. There they stood for about half an hour, and then they turned.
But which way? Home? It seemed so at first--the young man was plainly
hesitating. At last he yielded to my father's persuasion, and both
disappeared over the farther side of the high ground. My unhappy
sister, with a wild cry of distress, came back into the cottage, and
threw herself sobbing into a chair.

"`Oh, mother, mother!' she cried, `they're off again--they're gone to
the public-house; father'll be the death of _him_, body and soul.'

"My mother made no answer. She could not speak. She had no comfort to
offer. She knew that my wretched father was the tempter. She knew that
there was nothing but misery before her child.

"Oh, what a weary night that was! We sat for hours waiting, listening.
At last we heard the sound of voices--two voices were shouting out
snatches of sea-songs with drunken vehemence. We didn't need any one to
tell us whose voices they were. My sister started up and rushed out. I
followed her, and so did my mother. We could see now my father and the
young man, sharp and clear in the moonlight, arm in arm at the top of
the cliff. They were waving their arms about and shouting, as they
swayed and staggered to and fro. Then they went forward towards the
edge, and tried to steady themselves as they looked in the direction of
the se