y.

"I _should_ like to see her," pursued Kate.

"You must come and see her, then."

"See whom?" asked Mr Fraser, rousing himself from his nap.

"My mother, sir," answered Alec.

"Oh! I thought you had been speaking of Katie's friend," said the
professor, and fell asleep again.

"Uncle means Bessie Warner, who is coming by the steamer from London on
Monday. Isn't it kind of uncle to ask her to come and see me here?"

"He is kind always. Was Miss Warner a schoolfellow of yours?"

"Yes--no--not exactly. She was one of the governesses. I _must_ go and
meet her at the steamer. Will you go with me?"

"I shall be delighted. Do you know when she arrives?"

"They say about six. I daresay it is not very punctual."

"Oh! yes, she is--when the weather is decent. I will make inquiries,
and come and fetch you."

"Thank you.--I suppose I may, uncle?"

"What, my dear?" said the professor, rousing himself again.

"Have my cousin to take care of me when I go to meet Bessie?"

"Yes, certainly. I shall be much obliged to you, Mr Forbes. I am not
quite so agile as I was at your age, though my gouty leg _is_ better."

This conversation would not have been worth recording were it not that
it led to the walk and the waiting on Monday.--They found, when they
reached the region of steamers, that she had not yet been signalled,
but her people were expecting the signal every minute. So Alec and Kate
walked out along the pier, to pass the time. This pier runs down the
side of the river, and a long way into the sea. It had begun to grow
dark, and Alec had to take great care of Kate amongst the tramways,
coils of rope, and cables that crossed their way. At length they got
clear of these, and found themselves upon the pier, built of great
rough stones--lonely and desert, tapering away into the dark, its end
invisible, but indicated by the red light far in front.

"It is a rough season of the year for a lady to come by sea," said
Alec.

"Bessie is very fond of the sea," answered Kate. "I hope you will like
her, Mr Forbes."

"Do you want me to like her better than you?" rejoined Alec. "Because
if you do--"

"Look how beautiful that red light is on the other side of the river,"
interrupted Kate. "And there is another further out."

"When the man at the helm gets those two lights in a line," said Alec,
"he may steer straight in, in the darkest night--that is, if the tide
serves for the bar."

"Look how much more glorious the r