rain was still falling heavily, and she was forced to leave her door
partly unclosed to obtain a little air, for the heat was oppressive in
the close confined berth. For a long time she lay awake, now thinking
sad thoughts and shedding sadder tears, now listening to the hum of
voices in the outer-cabin, broken occasionally by songs and merry bursts
of laughter.

The captain's wife and her sisters, she found, were on their way to
Anster fair, which was to be held on the morrow, at which place they
were to be put on shore. And she remembered the old song of Maggie
Lauder, and her encounter with the piper on her way to that celebrated
fair: and was not a little amused to hear old Boreas, as if he had read
her thoughts, roar out the national ditty in a hoarse deep voice, as
rough and unmusical as a nor-wester piping among the shrouds.

As she reclined on her pillow, she could just see through a small
aperture in the red curtains which concealed her person from observation
the party gathered around the cabin-table. The captain's wife was seated
on his knee, and Jean's pale cheek rested on her bridegroom's manly
breast. Old Boreas was in his glory, for the brandy bottle was before
him, and he was insisting upon the ladies taking a glass of punch, and
drinking success to the voyage. This they all did with a very _good
grace_; even the pensive Jean sipping occasionally from her husband's
tumbler.

The captain's wife began teasing him for a fairing, which he very
bluntly refused to bestow. She called in the aid of Miss Nancy and
Betsy, and they charged down upon him with such a din of voices, that
the jolly tar emptied the contents of his leathern purse into Meg's lap,
who clutched the silver and kissed him, and clapped his broad back, and
laughed like a child.

By-and-by he was forced to leave her to go upon deck. She then rose and
went to her brother, and laying her hand upon his shoulder, addressed
him in a manner so serious, so different from her former deportment,
that Flora could scarcely believe it was the same person that now spoke.

"Wullie, ye maun promise me to keep a gude look out on Jock during the
voyage. He's jest killin' o' himsel wi' drink. Canna ye persuade him to
gie it up ava?"

The mate shook his head. "Ye ken the man, Maggie. He wull gang his ain
gate."

Maggie sighed heavily. "It's a puir look-out for his wife an' the twa
weans. He'll no leave it aff for our sakes; but you maun put in a word
o' a