Vivian, in a low tone. "It is, at any rate, full of duties and they will
bring happiness."

"To some, perhaps; not to me," said Kitty, raising herself from her
kneeling posture and drying her eyes. "I have no duties but to look nice
and make myself agreeable."

"You will find duties if you look for them. There is your husband's
happiness, to begin with----"

"My husband," exclaimed Kitty, in a tone of passionate contempt that
startled him. But they could say no more, for at that moment the
carriage came up to the door, and, from the voices in the hall, it was
plain that the family had returned.

A great hush fell upon those merry voices when Mr. Vivian's errand was
made known. Mrs. Heron, who was really fond of Percival, was
inconsolable, and retired to her own room with the little boys and the
baby to weep for him in peace. Mr. Heron, Kitty, and Elizabeth remained
with Rupert in the study, listening to the short account which he gave
of the wreck of the _Arizona_, as he had learnt it from Mason's lips.
And then it was proposed that Mason should be summoned to tell his own
story.

Mason's eyes rested at once upon Elizabeth with a look of respectful
admiration. He told his story with a rough, plain eloquence which more
than once brought tears to the listeners' eyes; and he dwelt at some
length on the presence of mind and cheery courage which Mr. Heron had
shown during the few minutes between the striking of the ship and her
going down. "Just as bold as a lion, ladies and gentlemen; helping every
poor soul along, and never thinking of himself. They told fine tales of
one of the men we took aboard from the _Falcon_; but Mr. Heron beat him
and all of us, I'm sure."

"You took on board someone from the _Falcon_?" said Elizabeth, suddenly.

"Yes, ma'am, three men that were picked up in an open boat, where they
had been for five days and nights; the _Falcon_ having been burnt to the
water's edge, and very few of the crew saved."

Elizabeth's hands clasped themselves a little more tightly, but she
suffered no sign of emotion to escape her.

"Do you remember the names of the men saved from the _Falcon_?" she
said.

"There was Jackson," said the sailor, slowly; "and there was Fall; and
there was a steerage passenger--seems to me his name was Smith, but I
can't rec'llect exackly."

"It was not Stretton?"

"No, it warn't no name like that, ma'am."

"Then they are both lost," said Elizabeth, rising up with a deadly