expressing himself in
the most flattering terms on the subject of Miss Bygrave's appearance in
her sea-side costume. But Magdalen had seen Captain Wragge's signal with
the camp-stool, and had at once diverted Noel Vanstone to the topic of
himself and his possessions by a neatly-timed question about his house
at Aldborough.

"I don't wish to alarm you, Miss Bygrave," were the first words of Noel
Vanstone's which caught Mrs. Lecount's attention, "but there is only one
safe house in Aldborough, and that house is mine. The sea may destroy
all the other houses--it can't destroy Mine. My father took care of
that; my father was a remarkable man. He had My house built on piles. I
have reason to believe they are the strongest piles in England. Nothing
can possibly knock them down--I don't care what the sea does--nothing
can possibly knock them down."

"Then, if the sea invades us," said Magdalen, "we must all run for
refuge to you."

Noel Vanstone saw his way to another compliment; and, at the same
moment, the wary captain saw his way to another burst of science.

"I could almost wish the invasion might happen," murmured one of the
gentlemen, "to give me the happiness of offering the refuge."

"I could almost swear the wind had shifted again!" exclaimed the other.
"Where is a man I can ask? Oh, there he is. Boatman! How's the wind now?
Nor'west and by west still--hey? And southeast and by south yesterday
evening--ha? Is there anything more remarkable, Mrs. Lecount, than
the variableness of the wind in this climate?" proceeded the captain,
shifting the camp-stool to the scientific side of him. "Is there any
natural phenomenon more bewildering to the scientific inquirer? You
will tell me that the electric fluid which abounds in the air is
the principal cause of this variableness. You will remind me of the
experiment of that illustrious philosopher who measured the velocity of
a great storm by a flight of small feathers. My dear madam, I grant all
your propositions--"

"I beg your pardon, sir," said Mrs. Lecount; "you kindly attribute to
me a knowledge that I don't possess. Propositions, I regret to say, are
quite beyond me."

"Don't misunderstand me, ma'am," continued the captain, politely
unconscious of the interruption. "My remarks apply to the temperate zone
only. Place me on the coasts beyond the tropics--place me where the wind
blows toward the shore in the day-time, and toward the sea by night--and
I instantly adva