ere not ready, and our departure was
deferred till the day after. Bramble had acquainted me in the morning
with this delay; I was annoyed at it, for I was restless and wished for
change. My bundle had been prepared; I had passed the best part of the
night in writing to Virginia, and was, as people very often are when
under such oppressed feelings, in anything but a good humor at being
obliged to remain another day at Deal. I had walked out to the beach
after we had breakfasted, and had remained there some time. Bramble had
gone out in the direction of the post-office, and I asked him to inquire
if there was a letter for me, for I thought it very likely that Virginia
might have written to me again. I had remained for an hour on the beach,
when I recollected that my knife required to be sharpened, and I walked
round the cottage to the back yard, where there was a small grindstone.
I had not put my knife to it when I heard Bramble come in and say to
Bessy:

"Well, girl, I've found it all out; for, you see, I thought old Anderson
might know something about it, or, if he did not, he could inquire--and
I've got the whole story. Here's Anderson's letter. I thought there must
be something of that sort."

Here there was a pause, as if Bessy was reading the letter.

"Only to think--she's run away with a young lord," said Bramble.

"So it seems," replied Bessy. "I'm sorry for poor Tom, for he feels it
severely."

"I'm not sorry," rejoined Bramble; "she wasn't deserving of him; and,
Bessy, I'm glad for your sake."

"Don't say that, father; Tom will never think of me, nor do I care about
him."

"I don't exactly believe that, Bessy, for all you say so. It's my wish,
and you know it, Bessy, to see you and Tom spliced before I die; and I
thank Heaven that this false girl is out of the way--I've more hopes
now."

"Marriages are made in heaven, father," replied Bessy; "so, pray don't
say any thing more about it. It will be time enough for me to think of
Tom when Tom appears to think of me. I shall always love him as a
brother."

"Well, God's will be done! We must now try and console him, poor fellow;
and I'm very glad that we're off to-morrow. Salt water cures love, they
say, sooner than anything else."

"It may, perhaps," replied Bessy; "but I feel that if I were once really
in love the whole ocean itself could not wash my love out. However,
women are not men."

"That's true. You hug your love as you do your babies, all d