t importance to _me_ that I have to ask
you," I replied. "Tell me, Ella, tell me, my darling, may I dare to
hope that at some time in the distant future, when you shall have had
opportunities of becoming better acquainted with me--"

"Cease, Harry," the dear girl interrupted, with deep emotion, "cease, I
pray you, to agitate yourself with causeless fears. Why should I
hesitate to avow a feeling that I fear I have already permitted to
appear all too plainly. If you are _quite sure_ that you really wish
it, I will be your wife; and _never_ was there a truer or more devoted
wife than I will be to you, if it please God to permit us to become
united."

And saying this, my little darling turned, and with unaffected confiding
simplicity, wound her soft arms about my neck, and raised her sweet lips
to mine.

The conversation which followed, deeply interesting as it was to the
parties engaged, need not be reproduced here: I will leave the reader to
imagine it all, and push on with my story.

There are some women in whom a fresh trait of character is always
revealing itself, so that, just when you think you have at last
succeeded in thoroughly understanding them, you discover that you are
just as far off any reliable knowledge of their character as ever.

But with Ella it was very different. There was a child-like openness
and ingenuousness of manner about her which quickly revealed to the
observer not only the salient points, but also the finer gradations, of
her character and temperament; and I believe that I had a clearer
insight into both at the time that I thus hastily offered myself, than
many men who do the same thing after an acquaintance of a "season."

At length we returned to the cutter, where we found Bob, with his pipe
still between his teeth, sitting aft fast asleep. I wished Ella "good-
night," and then roused Master Bob up; and whilst we smoked a final pipe
together, communicated my good fortune to him.

"Ay, ay!" said he, as soon as I had told him, "you may thank `Jack
Shark' for having it come upon ye so soon, lad; it was _bound_ to come
sooner or later. I've seed it clearer and clearer every day, but it
warn't for me to say a word one way or t'other; but the narrer squeak
you had for it this a'ternoon just took the little lady flat aback, and
afore she could pay off, you see, she let run a whole string of lovin'
words that there warn't no way of hauling aboard and coiling down out of
sight ag'in;