en at last Miss
Lizzie stood again at the water's edge with her volumes. Miss
Cadwallader grumbled a little, but it met the utmost
carelessness. The tide was very low; but by the help of
Winthrop in the boat and Mr. Cowslip on the muddy steps, the
young ladies were safely passed down and seated in the stern-
sheets, not without two or three little screams on the part of
Miss Cadwallader. The other, quite silent, looked a little
strangely at the water coming within three or four inches of
her dress, an expression of grave timidity becoming her dark
eye much better than the look it had worn a few minutes
before. As the boat lurched a little on pushing off, the
colour started to her cheeks, and she asked "if there was any
danger?"

"Not the least," Winthrop said.

Elizabeth gave another look at the very self-possessed calm
face of her boatman, and then settled herself in her place
with the unmistakable air of a mind at ease.

The boat had rounded the corner of the wharf and fell into its
upward track, owing all its speed now to the rower's good arm;
for a very strong down tide was running against them. They
crept up, close under the shore, the oars almost touching the
rocks; but always, as if a spirit of divination were in her,
the little boat turned its head from the threatened danger,
edged in and out of the mimic bays and hollows in the shores,
and kept its steady onward way. The scene was a fairy-land
scene now. Earth, water, and air, were sparkling with
freshness and light. The sunlight lay joyously in the nest of
the southern mountains, and looked over the East, and smiled
on the heads of the hills in the north; while cool shadows
began to walk along the western shore. Far up, a broad
shoulder of the mountain stood out in bright relief under the
sun's pencil; then lower down, the same pencil put a glory
round the heads of the valley cedars; the valley was in
shadow. Sharp and clear shewed sun-touched points of rock on
the east shore, in glowing colours; and on the west the hills
raised huge shadowy sides towards the sun, whom they
threatened they would hide from his pensioners. And the sun
stood on the mountain's brow and blinked at the world, and
then dropped down; and the West had it! Not yet, but soon.

The two girls were not unmindful of all the brightness about
them, for their eyes made themselves very busy with it, and
little low-toned talks were held which now and then let a word
escape, of "pretty!"