nkland's life; how Sir Henry,
when a young man, came from England to be the king's collector of
customs. One day he went to Marblehead, and while at the tavern saw a
girl scrubbing the floor. She was barefooted, but had a beautiful
face. He thought that so pretty a girl ought not to go barefooted, and
gave her money to buy a pair of shoes. A few weeks passed, and again
he saw her barefooted, still scrubbing the floor. She had purchased
the shoes, but was keeping them for Sunday. Sir Henry was so pleased
with her that he offered to give her an education. A good minister
took her into his family and she learned very rapidly. She in return
gave him her love, and after leaving school went to live with him. He
not only owned the house in town, but a great estate in the country.
He kept horses and hounds, and had good wines. After a while he took
Agnes to England with him, and from thence to Portugal. He was in
Lisbon in 1755, at the time of the great earthquake, and was riding in
his carriage when suddenly the earth began to heave and tremble, and
houses, churches, all came tumbling down, burying thirty thousand
people. Sir Henry's horses and himself and carriage were beneath the
bricks and mortar. Agnes was not with him at the moment, but showed
her love by running as fast as she could and digging away the bricks
with her own hands, finding him badly mangled but alive. He thought he
was going to die, and made a vow that if his life was spared Agnes
should be his lawfully wedded wife. His wounds healed and he kept his
word, making her Lady Frankland. They came once more to Boston, bought
the house next to Chief Justice Hutchinson, and lived very happily.

"We will go down to father's shipyard," said Tom, "and you can see the
carpenters at work building a ship."

They descended the hill and entered the yard. Robert hardly knew what
to think as he listened to the clattering of axes and mallets. Some of
the workmen were hewing timber and putting up the ribs of the vessel;
others were bolting planks to the ribs. The size of the ship amazed
him; it was larger than his father's barn. In a few weeks the hull
would be finished, the masts put in, the rigging rove, and then the
ship would be launched.

"Father is going to name her for me, and I am to be the figurehead;
come to the carver's shop and see me," said Berinthia with sparkling
eyes and merry laugh.

They went into a little shop where a good-looking young man, with
chise