and children, that I might carry
Master Henry if he was tired."

"They have observed the versatility of your genius."

"She made me hunt the hedges for a whole morning after eggs because she
was convinced that one of the hens laid astray."

"Did you find any?"

"No; and when I came back to tell her so, she got into a rage, and
threatened to make the captain flog me."

"The devil she did!"

"A devil she is," continued Prose. "She runs about the house--`Captain
Capperbar' this,--`Captain Capperbar' that--`I will'--`I will not'--`I
insist'--`I am determined.' But," continued Prose, "as you belonged to
the captain's gig before, you will of course take her again, and I shall
be very glad to give the charge up to you."

"Not for the world, my dear Prose: what may insure your promotion would
be my ruin. I never nursed a child or shelled a pea in my life; the
first I should certainly let fall, and the second I probably should eat
for my trouble. So pray continue at your post of honour, and I will go
for the fresh beef every morning as you were accustomed to do when we we
were last in port."

Captain M--- did not receive the immediate benefit which he had
anticipated from a return to his native land. Bath, Cheltenham,
Devonshire, and other places were recommended one after the other by the
physicians, until he was tired of moving from place to place. It was
nearly two years before he felt his health sufficiently re-established
to resume the command of the _Aspasia_, during which period the patience
of officers was nearly exhausted; and not only was all the furniture and
fitting up of the cottage complete but Captain Capperbar had provided
himself with a considerable stock of materials for repairs and
alterations. At last a letter from the captain to Macallan gave the
welcome intelligence that he was to be down at Portsmouth in a few days,
and that the ship was ordered to fit for foreign service.

We must not omit to mention here, that during these two years Seymour
had been able to procure frequent leave of absence, which was invariably
passed at the McElvinas; and that the terms of intimacy on which he was
received at the hall and his constant intercourse with Emily, produced
an effect which a more careful mother would have guarded against. The
youth of eighteen and the girl of sixteen had feelings very different
from those which had actuated them on their first acquaintance; and
Seymour, who was staying at t