ighty superstructure of good
offices, kindly acts, and tender feelings, mingled, it may be, with
loving forbearance, and occasional suffering, which shall be good to the
souls of the lover, as well as the loved one.

Anyhow, when Otto saw Dr Marsh helped, almost lifted, out of the boat;
observed him give a pitiful little smile, and heard him utter some mild
pleasantry to those who assisted him, he experienced a gush of feeling
such as had never before inflated his reckless little bosom, and
something like water--to his great astonishment--caused interference
with his vision.

Running forward just as the widow Lynch was officiously thrusting her
warm-hearted attentions on the invalid, he accosted the doctor, and
offered to escort him to the golden cave.

And we may here inform the reader that the involuntary affection of our
little hero met with a suitable return, for Dr Marsh also fell in love
with Otto at first sight. His feelings, however, were strongly mingled
with surprise.

"My boy," he said, with painfully wide-open eyes, "from what part of the
sky have _you_ dropt?"

"Well, not being a falling star or a rocket-stick, I cannot claim such
high descent,--but hasn't the mate told you about us?" returned Otto.

Here widow Lynch broke in with:

"Towld him about you? Av course he hasn't. He don't throuble his hid
to tell much to any wan; an', sure, wasn't the doctor slaapin' whin he
returned aboord i' the night, an' wasn't I nursin' of 'im, and d'ee
think any wan could git at 'im widout my lave?"

Otto thought that certainly no one could easily accomplish that feat,
and was about to say so, when Dr Marsh said remonstratively--

"Now, my dear widow Lynch, do leave me to the care of this new friend,
who, I am sure, is quite able to assist me, and do you go and look after
these poor women and children. They are quite helpless without your
aid. Look! your favourite Brown-eyes will be in the water if you don't
run."

The child of a poor widow, which had been styled Brown-eyes by the
doctor because of its gorgeous optics, was indeed on the point of taking
an involuntary bath as he spoke. Mrs Lynch, seeing the danger, rushed
tumultuously to the rescue, leaving the doctor to Otto's care.

"Don't let me lean too heavily on you," he said, looking down; "I'm
big-boned, you see, and long-legged, though rather thin."

"Pooh!" said Otto, looking up, "you're as light as a feather, and I'm as
strong as a horse,--a