ndulge in
the fragrant pipe, and watch the lights shining out, one by one, in
different quarters of the darkling bay: at these moments she is as
pretty, as cheerful, as careless as it becomes a sensible woman to be.
What a pride the Captain takes in his daughter! And she, in return, how
perfect is her devotion to the old man! He is proud of her grace, of
her tact, of her good sense, of her wit, such as it is. He thinks her to
be the most accomplished of women. He waits upon her as if, instead of
his old familiar Esther, she were a newly inducted daughter-in-law. And
indeed, if I were his own son, he could not be kinder to me. They are
certainly--nay, why should I not say it?--_we_ are certainly a very
happy little household. Will it last forever? I say _we_, because both
father and daughter have given me a hundred assurances--he direct, and
she, if I don't flatter myself, after the manner of her sex,
indirect--that I am already a valued friend. It is natural enough that I
should have gained their good-will. They have received at my hands
inveterate courtesy. The way to the old man's heart is through a studied
consideration of his daughter. He knows, I imagine, that I admire Miss
Blunt. But if I should at any time fall below the mark of ceremony, I
should have an account to settle with him. All this is as it should be.
When people have to economize with the dollars and cents, they have a
right to be splendid in their feelings. I have prided myself not a
little on my good manners towards my hostess. That my bearing has been
without reproach is, however, a fact which I do not, in any degree, set
down here to my credit; for I would defy the most impertinent of men
(whoever he is) to forget himself with this young lady, without leave
unmistakably given. Those deep, dark eyes have a strong prohibitory
force. I record the circumstance simply because in future years, when my
charming friend shall have become a distant shadow, it will be pleasant,
in turning over these pages, to find written testimony to a number of
points which I shall be apt to charge solely upon my imagination. I
wonder whether Miss Blunt, in days to come, referring to the tables of
her memory for some trivial matter-of-fact, some prosaic date or
half-buried landmark, will also encounter this little secret of ours, as
I may call it,--will decipher an old faint note to this effect, overlaid
with the memoranda of intervening years. Of course she will. Sentiment