ul, we looked down upon a troubled,
rolling, restless mass of waters, each wave seeming to buffet its
neighbour with an angry determination to put it down. In the midst of
all this chaos, one monster wave rose superior to all the rest, and
rolling forward with giant strength and resistless impetuosity,
threatened instant destruction to the vessel. A cry, a terrific roll, a
shudder through the vessel, and again we were in the valley of waters;
and during the comparative lull the captain roared in my ear, "Is it not
a pretty sea, Madam?"

We can now laugh at our fears, and the awe-struck faces we all
presented, but it was many hours ere some of us recovered ourselves, and
for this show of timidity Gatty scolded Sybil.

_Gatty._--"How can you be such a goose, Sybil? Why, you are trembling
now."

_Sybil._--"No, I am only a little cold; but you know, Gatty, that was
such an awful wave, if we had stretched our necks ever so high we could
not see to the top."

_Gatty._--"Well, and what did that matter? It was a glorious wave, a
magnificent fellow, I dare say a tenth wave. If we had been walking on
the sea shore we should have counted and known."

_Sybil._--"But I could not tell how we were ever to get to the top. I
thought we must certainly go through it, or it would go over us."

_Gatty_ (laughing).--"Serena, do come here, Sybil is talking such
splendid stuff, and, moreover, she is frightened out of her wits, and I
do believe wishes herself at home."

_Serena._--"Oh dear! I am so ill; going on deck has quite upset me, and
I am worse than I was."

_Gatty._--"Now, whatever you do, don't go and be so foolish, Serena. I
shall have no pleasure at all if Sybil is frightened and you are ill.
Get up, and eat a lot of roast beef with heaps of mustard and you will
be quite well."

A little small voice called to Gatty, and also asked for beef and
mustard. "I am sure, quite sure, Gatty," said the little speaker, Winny,
"it will do me a great deal of good." "Ah," said Lilly, "I wish I was
out of this place. Do, mother, ask the captain to stop and put me down
somewhere." This little idea caused infinite amusement. Time, however,
went on, and cured us all. We had lovely weather, and began to keep
regular hours, and have allotted times of the day for different things.
All attending, whatever might be our occupations, to the captain's
summons; for when anything new was to be seen, any wonders of the
ocean, any curious bird resting