ver it; and that, come
what may, you will avoid all encounter with that bad, proud man, whose
coming seems like a cloud sent over dear old Merland. I almost feel
thankful that poor Mr and Mrs Elstree are now far away from trouble
and care. There was that dread suspicion, though, in both their hearts;
I feel sure, however, they struggled to the last to keep it back. But
there: let us dismiss it all; and you promise me, do you not?"

Captain Norton's calm, quiet smile was enough to reassure his wife; and
as he took his seat at a side-table, covered with correspondence, she
stood behind him, leaning her hands upon his shoulder.

"We are going on at a famous rate, Ada," he said, after a busy pause, in
short, sharp, decisive tones, that smacked of the man of
business--"returns increasing every month. Some of the prophetic old
wiseacres would give their ears now for shares in our rusty old iron
company. By the way, though, Brace has not written for any money
lately. Is it not time we heard from him?"

"Yes," said Mrs Norton, with anxiety in her tones; "and--"

"Now, don't be an old fidget," said the Captain, laughingly, as once
more he drew her towards him. "That poor old head of yours is as full
of shipwrecks and disasters at sea as one of the wreck-charts or Lloyd's
ledgers. What a pity it is that we did not have half-a-dozen boys for
you to share that weak old heart of yours amongst, so that you need not
have had to worry yourself to death about one!"

"But surely we ought to have had a letter a month since."

"Certainly, my love, if the poor boy had had a post-office close at hand
into which he could pop it. Don't be so unreasonable. You don't know
how even an adverse wind will keep a vessel away from port for weeks
together. You must study statistics, so as to ease that heart of yours,
by learning how seldom a mishap befalls a ship. We shall be hearing
from him before long, and--There, bless my soul, I must keep a clerk;
I've forgotten to answer Harrison and Son's letter."

"What was that about?" said Mrs Norton, as, pleased to see how happy
her husband was in his business pursuits--upon which, in spite of
adversity at the outset, fortune had of late smiled in full sunshine--
she tried to enter into each matter, knowing full well how his busy life
had been the cure for a mind diseased.

"What was it about?" said Captain Norton, dreamily. "Oh, about the
marsh--the warping, you know. I am to have two