l smooth, and you follow her,
why, it's natural, I suppose, that she should shy off a little in her
turn. You must mind that, Tom; it's a sort of soothing to the
mortification of having at one time found herself, as it were,
rejected."

"Well, I shan't mind that; it will only serve me right for being such a
fool as not to have perceived her value before. But how do you
understand women so well, father?"

"Because, Tom, I've been looking on, and not performing, all my life:
except in one instance in a long life, I've only been a bystander in the
way of courtship and matrimony. Here we are at last, and now for a
chaise to Deal. Thank God, we can afford to shorten the time, for
Bessy's sake, poor thing!"

We arrived at the cottage: the sound of the wheels had called out not
only Bessy and Mrs Maddox, but all the neighbours; for they had heard
of our good fortune. Bessy, as soon as she had satisfied herself that
it was Bramble and me, went into the cottage again. Once more we
entered the humble roof. Bessy flew into her father's arms, and hung
weeping on his shoulder.

"Haven't you a kind word to say for Tom?" said Bramble, kissing her as
he released himself.

"Does he deserve it, to leave me as he did, laughing at my distress?
_He_ had no right to treat me so."

"Indeed, Bessy, you do me injustice. I said at the time that I thought
there was no risk, and I certainly did think there was none. Who would
have expected a privateer half-way up the Thames, any more than a vessel
with twenty men on board could be re-captured by two men?"

"Well, Bessy, you ought to make friends with him, for without his arm,
your father would not have been back here quite so soon. He beat down
the Frenchmen, one after another, in good style, when they attempted to
recover the vessel--that he did, I can tell you, wounded as he was."

"Wounded?" cried Bessy; starting, her eyes running over me to find out
where.

"Yes, with a bullet in his leg; I didn't like to say a word about it in
the letter. But I suppose if he had been killed you would not have
cared?"

"Oh, father!" cried Bessy, as she turned towards me, and I received her
in my arms.

Bessy soon recovered her smiles, and thankful for our preservation and
good fortune, and satisfied with our mutual affection, we passed a most
happy evening. Somehow or another Bramble, having sent Mrs Maddox on a
message, found out that it was very sultry indoors, and that he would
t