Flora clapped her hands
together in a sort of ecstasy.

Lyndsay was standing silently beside her, watching with an air of
melancholy interest the scene which excited in her such intense
enthusiasm.

"Flora, do you see that old-fashioned mansion that crowns the green
amphitheatre, surrounded by those lofty hills, in front of us? It is a
lovely romantic place--with that giant hill that looks like an old man
in a highland bonnet, towering above it, away there in the back-ground.
That is the old man of Hoy. That old house is M----, where I was born
and brought up." He drew a deep sigh, and turning his face from his
wife, continued to gaze with an earnest longing. The shades of night
drew a veil over the stern landscape, and the moon rose up, bathing rock
and crag and mountain height with a flood of silver glory, and adding a
ghostlike awful sublimity to the scene. Lyndsay still leant upon the
vessel's side, watching with the same intense expression the black
outline of the receding coast, which in that uncertain light presented
an aspect of rugged frowning desolation.

The Captain expected to put into Kirkwall, at which place he had been
requested by the owners to take in a supply of fresh provisions and
water for the voyage; the water casks having been filled with the
execrable waters o' Leith, under the ostensible reason of keeping them
from leaking until they could obtain a better supply. But the wind and
tide being in his favour, and enabling him to make a rapid run through
the Firth, he thought it best to keep straight on. This, in the end, by
leaving the vessel short of provisions and water, proved a short-sighted
policy, while it greatly disappointed Flora, whom Lyndsay had promised
to introduce to some of his friends, and give her a nearer view of the
romantic islands, which, seen from the water, had excited her curiosity
to the utmost.

But the _Anne_ spread her white wings to catch the fresh breeze which
was piping its hoarse song among the shrouds, and sped far upon her
westward way, leaving Mrs. Lyndsay to upbraid the Captain with having
cheated her hopes, which now could never be realized.

Boreas only laughed, and said--"That he was d----d sorry, for that he
would have to drink bad water and eat salt junk the rest of the voyage."

"And what has become of the little man in brown?" asked Flora: "I have
not seen him since he crept into the boat."

"We had a blow up this morning," said Boreas. "When I cam