after
which he naturally slid into ships and voyaging, and so came abruptly to
the question:--

"By the way, Miss Westwood, is it true that you are trying to secure a
passage to England just now?"

"We have succeeded in securing one," said Flora, with a deep blush and a
peculiar look. "We sail _to-morrow_."

"To-morrow!" cried Will, in consternation.

There was for a moment a great swelling of _something_ in our hero's
breast; then a sudden thought occurred, "Never venture never--;" next
instant he seized Flora's hand. "Oh, Miss West--Flora, _dearest_
Flora--forgive--nay, do not turn away, I entreat, I beseech--"

"Old rascal!" exclaimed a stern voice at his back at that moment.

Will sprang up, burning with anger, and turning sharply round, observed
the parrot gazing at him in mute surprise.

"Walk in--old rascal," repeated the bird.

Will laughed, but there was a touch of bitterness in his tone as he
turned again to Flora, who had risen from the couch.

"This is an awkward interruption, Flo--Miss Westwood, but necessity
constrains me. I must, I _will_ speak now, if--bear with me, dear girl,
I did not mean to be rude, but--"

A footstep was heard in the passage.

"Supper will be cooling, I fear," said the hollow voice of Mr Cupples.
"Oh! I beg pardon. I did not know--I--"

Will turned, and rushed at his friend with savage intentions. At the
same moment the figure of a man darkened the doorway. Mr Cupples
vanished out of the house, Flora glided away, and Will Osten found
himself face to face with Mr Westwood!

It might have been expected that the scene which followed would have
been an embarrassing one, but such was not the case. Our hero had
reached that point of nervous and mental turmoil and exasperation in
which extremes meet. As the strong current of a river meets the rush of
the rising tide, and at a certain point produces dead calm, so the
conflicting currents in Will's bosom reached the flood, and he became
desperately serene, insomuch that he held out his hand to Mr Westwood,
and, with a smile of candour and a tone of deep earnestness, explained
"the situation," and made "a clean breast of it." The result was, that
Mr and Mrs Westwood received his advances favourably, but, being
naturally cautious and solicitous about the happiness of their daughter,
they pointed out that it was impossible to come to any conclusion at
that time, because, in the first place, Will was, by his own showin