The very next morning Uncle Rollin appeared, together with a weather-beaten sailor. The first words we heard him say, after he had kissed our mother, were in praise of this sailor, who had been some years ago, he told us, steward of the Nancy" of Havre. We regarded Uncle Rollin with attention. He was ruddy, hale, and moreover, remarkably shy; while he ate his breakfast he maintained silence, unless when he spoke to the steward, in whose presence he seemed to find comfort, and who waited on him. Uncle Rollin saw mamma shedding tears, and, in order to comfort her, forthwith began to describe his yacht- by name the "Curlew." He assured her that we should have many comforts while we were on board; and that as for the boy, if his tutor could take to a sea life, he might probably not send him away at all; that every fine Sunday, when he was in port, he landed and went to church, and in foul weather he had a church rigged in the chief cabin, so that there need be no fear lest we should grow up like heath ens. He was a very remarkable person. Even at that early age I was impressed by his peculiarities, his intense shyness, his dislike to being looked at, and his silence. He had been brought up to the sea, and when young had been a lieutenant in the navy, but he had early left the service, and having come into possession of a handsome independence, he had chosen a way of life that developed his eccentricities more and more. The "Curlew," as it appeared, was a handsome fore-and-aft schooner of three hundred tons; built upon the lines of a Bermuda clipper, and manned by a picked crew. there was an after cabfn, which had been fitted up expressly for his late sister, was sometimes used as a sleeping apartment, and also as a drawing-room. This cabin I learned that I was to have so long as I remained on board. In one berth I was to sleep, and my clothes, my toys, and my books were to be disposed in the lockers. My mother's face brightened as these contemplated arrangements were unfolded to her, and as for me, my heart danced with delight. "And what had he done with the old brig?" she inquired. The old brig was dear to her heart as the occasional home of her girlhood; and she and Uncle Rollin began to talk of the black hull as if it were a sentient thing, and with as much affection as they might have naturally felt if the said hull had been able to return the sentiment. "I hope my boy and girl will be dutiful and good," she presently said. 66 Why, as to children," he replied kindly, "I never did mind them; but this tutor, Mary Anne, he is a peaceable, quiet man, and will not make trouble and mischief, eh, Mary Anne?" "He is the most passive of mortals." "He can have one of the state-rooms, and your boy the other. I say, that boy has a head! Is he like what you were at his age?" "He is not very different," said my mother, with a smile. "Then I'll turn schoolmaster again, and teach him navigation." Tom, upon this, was vehement in his thanks, and I, supposing that navigation must be a delightful study, cried out, "And me too Uncle Rollin. I want to learn navigation." Tom began to explain that navigation was not at all a fit study for a girl, but mamma checked him, perhaps because she knew that to be willing to learn navigation was to take the shortest way to the old These facts conveyed little to our minds, but the manner in which they were said abundantly proved that the owner of the "Curlew was proud of his yacht; ac-man's heart. cordingly, as we were about to sail in her, we became proud of her too, and hear ing what a fast sailer she was, we were glad, for we supposed that would add to our dignity. He talked for some time to our mother, and we gathered that this said fore-and-aft vessel (mysterious expression, meaningless, but fascinating) was fitted up with unusually large cabins. There was the chief cabin, whose size and convenience he greatly insisted on; there were three charming state-rooms; and, moreover, Indeed, having thus favourably brought myself under his notice, he patted me on. the head, and remarked that my mother was about my present height when she first began to sail in the old brig with him. The old brig, as we afterwards learned, had been quite a crack vessel in her day, a privateer, and even now she looked well at sea, though she had suffered so much in a late gale that he had almost decided not to let her move from her moorings any more. We understood that several old mariners were pensioned off by him, and allowed to find a congenial home in her. "And," said he, "the people had nothing to do, so I am employing them in caulking her sides and overhauling her standing rigging." What they said was not much to the purpose, I dare say, but it made me happier to talk. I remember one speech very well: it was a strange one, but true. I had said to the eldest girl that I was sure I should cry every day till I saw my mam "And yet she is never to go to sea again," said our mother, in a tone of abso-ma again. lute regret. "Oh, no, you won't miss," she answered. "Not she, but I could not bear to strip" Why, my mother died this spring, and I her like a wreck." cried ever so at first, but now I never cry except when I go through the churchyard." I said I did not wish to forget my mothShe answered that I should not forget, only I should get used to it. er. After this Tom and I went out with our little sister Amy. Dear little Amy was going with mamma, and in the meantime we could hardly endure her out of our sight. We gave her the handsomest of What is there indeed that we cannot our possessions, and the most gaudy of get used to? In manhood and womanthe pictures painted with our own hands, hood we do not like to be reminded that and she promised to learn to write run- such is the case, but childhood is less soning-hand that she might write letters to us. phisticated, and I was pleased to be asWhen we came in we found poor mam-sured by this more experienced child that ma very nervous, and much agitated. she had got used to the loss of her mother. Uncle Rollin was gone out "for a stretch" If she no longer cried whose mother was over the hills, and had said that he posi- dead, I hoped I should not cry long for tively must leave her in two days and take mine, who was only a long way off. us with him. We drove away, and I began to like I will not attempt to describe the inter- Uncle Rollin. He shortly stopped the vening two days. The anguish that chil-chaise, as he drove through a small town, dren cause under such circumstances by and bought us some plums. He produced their delight in the bustle, and their excite- a new half-crown of resplendent brightment of joy in the prospect of a change, ness, and handed it to me to pay for them; we no doubt inflicted on our mother at in- and when I said what a pity it was to tervals. We cried when we saw her dis- spend anything so beautiful, and proposed tress, but we felt little real oppression of to go without the plums that he might heart; and our boxes were packed, and keep it, he brought forward a shilling, they and our mother's great crates full of paid the woman for her fruit, and when books, were travelling by a wagon across I handed him back the half-crown, he said, the country, and we were ten miles away"Keep it, child." from our mother and our little sister, and Small refections of cakes, buns, sandfrom the great green common, by break-wiches, and fruit, were very frequently fast time on the third day. I was a strange little creature, as I gather from things that I have heard said since by people that knew me then. But no less strange was my new guardian; he was very silent, very ill at ease, the land sights and sounds oppressed him, he longed for his yacht, yet he took a curious interest in a bunch of wild flowers which some village children gave me when we stopped to change horses. These children were coming from school. Tom and I had been allowed to get out of the chaise, and I was sitting on a mossy bank crying for my lost mamma, when they came up, and stopping before me, stared at me and my tears. At last the eldest girl among them asked me confidentially why I was crying, and I told her; whereupon she took up her small apron to wipe my cheeks, and these good little Samaritans presented me with posies, and gave me such comfort as they could. bought for us during the morning, and these proofs of his goodwill I thought more of than of all my mother had said to me of his kindness in adopting us; yet she had taken great pains to make us understand that we owed him all gratitude and obedience. She had also told us that in Australia we could not have been educated without almost as effectual a separation from her as had taken place under the present arrangement. Brisbane, to which she was going, did not appear to our young minds to be a very desirable locality, for papa's letters described rivers and creeks full of water-snakes, which the settlers sometimes made pies of, and sometimes blew up with gun-powder when they found them knotted together in unusual multitudes, in holes and crevices. Besides, he described a kind of caterpillar or grub, which both natives and settlers roasted, and thought very delicate eating. place where snakes riddled the banks of A rivers full of holes, and where people ate caterpillars could not be a very nice place to live in. I only hoped my mother might never fall into the evil fashion of partaking of the roasts; and being now occupied with my flowers, I cried no more, excepting when I remembered how dull she would be without us; and with all my yearnings after her, I was quite unaware what a great loss she really was to me. Evening came on, the July sun set, then it grew dark, and I fell sound asleep with weariness; but even in my dreams, little fool that I was, I thought of my dear mamma with sympathy, and wished she could know how comfortable we were. At last somebody shook me. I woke, looked out of the window, saw the stars, and heard voices. Three sailors were standing by the chaise, it had stopped, and they were taking down the boxes. say a Uncle Rollin led me across a meadow. I was very sleepy, and when we stopped, looking forward into the darkness, I saw numbers of stars glittering and wavering in the path, and understood that we were standing by the bank of a river; but I belonged to new people now, so though I was afraid I did not dare to word. We were shortly put into a boat. They had said that we were going on board in the gig. Uncle Rollin himself had said that this was his gig; but sleepy as I was, I heard the splashing of oars, and thought I knew better. There was quite light enough after a time to show that we were alongside a black hull, and then there were lanthorns to light us up a queer kind of ladder. Every one has seen the cabin of a yacht, but how difficult it would be to describe it. When I had been carried down the companion into the chief cabin of the "Curlew," I became wide awake; and when I saw the rich fittings, the low ceiling, the strange lamp and fixed tables, and the general air of crowding and yet of order, I felt as if I was in fairy land, and this was an enchanted palace. As I ate my supper I, however, soon became sleepy again, and nodded between each mouthful. But I must say that I was a little surprised at the conduct of my brother, who having something very hot given him to drink, became rather disrespectful, and insisted on singing a song. The captain said that the grog had got into his head, and I hoped it would soon come out, it made him look so red in the face; but I had not much time for speculation, for a respectable-looking woman en tered shortly, and received orders to take me to bed. She led me into a beautiful and luxurious little room, told me it was to be mine, and enlarged on its splendour and my fortunate position in being its sole possessor. I was amazed at the velvet and the gilding, and enchanted with my curious little bed, no less than with my new attendant, who told me she had formerly been the stewardess of a passenger vessel at the same time that her husband was steward, and that now she washed for my uncle, and mended and made his linen; but she was very glad we were come, for she had not half enough to do, and was often strangely dull. I might tell my mamma that she meant to be good to me. I might say that she was right glad to have me. Mrs. Brand sent her respects," I could say, "and wished her to make her mind easy, for she should reckon it a pleasure to attend to me." I repeated this message to myself till I went to sleep, and in a vivid dream seemed to be telling my mother what a beautiful and most extraordinary place the "Curlew" was, and that she need not be uncomfortable about us, for though Tom had been tipsy once, Mrs. Brand said it would not happen again. The next morning I woke and looked about me bewildered, the most wonderful thing I saw being the view through the tiny window close to my face. Oh, what a lovely sight!-a softly flowing river, with orange rays lying on it, and making it glorious and golden; a great precipice that went up and up and up so high, that though I pressed my face against the glass, I could not see the top of it; trees growing in the rents; ivy in round bushes hanging from, or in long ribands creeping up the face of the rock, and wavering reflections of the passing ripples flowing all over my berth. The softest possible sound of water, washing by and lapping the vessel's side, came to my enchanted ears, and I climbed down from my berth and began to dress with all expedition. Mrs. Brand came in shortly, told me it was late, but she thought I should have been tired, and therefore had not called me. She then opened a box, took out one of my new bonnets, a little cloak that mamma had made for me, and a sunshade, and desired that in future I would not rise till she came to me, for she should always wish to brush my hair herself. "Young ladies," she remarked, rather crossly, "had no call to wait on themselves, and ought not to think of it; " then looking over the contents of my boxes, she shook her head disconsolately, and said, "Bless my heart, everything's new, there's not a stitch | sigh, and there would come a pause, wanted any where." sometimes this was a long pause, as if of doubt, but it generally ended by his saying to our infinite relief, "Mamma gave me some cotton, and I am to mend my clothes when they are torn," I said, by way of showing that I meant to be a good child. 66 You are to do no such thing, miss," she answered, sharply. "I have particular orders most particular, to wait on you myself." She soon conducted me on deck, where I found Tom, and we stood gazing about us in mute astonishment. Opposite to us towered a grey rock, and here and there threw out fantastic masses of projection. Its summit was fringed with wood, and the narrow river looked like a lane of water, for the rock under which we lay was equally high, it was broken and rent, frilled with shrubs and dabbled with flashes of sunshine. tion. "And I hope not," answered Mrs. Brand; 66 a dull place, with not a house to be seen - but I dare say you will get over your time very well. I should not wonder if you see Tintern, and Chepstow Castle, and you too, Miss, if you behave yourself pretty, and sit still in the gig." "I know the ruins of Chepstow are very beautiful," said Tom. "Well," replied Mrs. Brand, "they would be if they were in better repair. I don't think much of them myself, and the shops in Chepstow are very bad, and remarkably dear." CHAPTER VII. "Oh! methinks how slow This old moon wanes! She lingers my desires, Like to a step-dame or a dowager Long withering out a young man's revenue." Midsummer Night's Dream. AND now followed a week that I shall always think of with pleasure, because all things being so new and strange, made deep impressions; and partly owing to the loveliness of the scenery, partly to the perfect weather, and partly to the kindness of Uncle Rollin, all these impressions were delightful. He loved fishing, and he loved solitude, and every morning, while Brand waited at breakfast, we used to hear orders given about fishing-tackle, bread and meat, and fruit, a case-bottle of spirits, and pea-coat, &c. These things followed in undeviating order; then he would take out his watch and name the exact time at which the gig was to be lowered; then he would "Got any milk on board?" "Got a quart, sir," the stewart would reply. Then put up a bottle for the boy, and I suppose the child must go too.” This last concession always seemed to be wrung out of him after an internal struggle; and on hearing it we would murmur out our delight, but only in the quietest fashion, for he hated a noise, and seldom talked to us, though it appeared that he liked to hear our chatter together, for when we were talking with soft, subdued voices, he would sometimes pat us on the head and look at us with an air of amusement and pleasure. We were expected, however, to be perfectly quiet in the boat, and we seldom expressed our pleasure excepting by stealthy glances at one another, till, perhaps after a long pull, he would steer for some level field, and put us ashore for two or three hours to run about and make as much noise as we pleased. At the end of the week, as something had to be done to the yacht, he took us to an hotel close to the Wyndcliffs. Something almost always seems to want doing to a yacht, as far as I can sce. She wants painting six times as often as a house. When she is in port, everything in her is overhauled, and any one would think that a day or two of work, after she starts on her voyage, would get her into sea trim; but no, from the day she leaves one port till she sails to another, they are always scraping and scrubbing her, though she has no chance of contracting any dirt or dust, excepting from the frequent tarring, the endless painting and varnishing, and the greasing that goes on. People usually suppose that there must be rest and quiet at sea, but I never saw any; sailors shout and sing so at their work. and, what with hauling and setting sail, with reefing and furling, and their climbing about in every direction night and day, the noisest town is more quiet than the "Curlew was when I was on board her. So, as I said, we were taken to an hotel, and there we did not see much of our old uncle, but were generally under Mrs. Brand's care. She was allowed to hire a fly for us and take us about, and under her auspices we climbed over Banagar crags, and saw the green river beneath, with the little white boats on her bosom. Sometimes we were eight hundred feet high on the upland of the Wyndcliff, or ran stum- her qualifications for the task, if he had bling along among the ruins of Chepstow not cut her short by declaring his entire Castle. satisfaction, and marching off to smoke with much alacrity. Once we had a delightful treat: Uncle Rollin brought us down from Monmouth Bridge, through a strait called Bigs-weir, where the current is rapid, and the water eddies over slabs of green, slippery rocks, leaving only a narrow space for the passage of a boat. I can imagine nothing more glorious than the view here: the rent rocks, the aspiring ramparts, grey below, green above, ever changing, but always fair. When we reached Big's-weir Bridge, there was the pleasure of seeing the little mast lowered, while we went under the arch and sped on to Brook's-weir, where little schooners and sloops lay taking in their cargoes. There were two small vessels on the stocks here, and we heard the delightful tapping of the shipwrights, hammers as we passed; but all eyes were looking onward now, and when we had rounded the point of Lyn-weir, we could see the glorious ruin of Tintern Abbey aspiring and roofless. I remember thinking to myself, "That old church does not look good - it looks angry and forlorn;" and when we landed and walked about under the dazzling green ivy, and beneath a deep blue sky, I felt as if I was taking a great liberty. I was inclined to shrink away. It was like examining the old and ragged gown of some dead queen. What right had we, indeed, spying about in these old people's places now they were not there to see? I felt as if they perhaps did see, though, all the time, and was very much relieved when we got to the river again. "Interfering fellow," she exclaimed, when he was gone; "if I wasn't sharp enough to look after my rights, there wouldn't be a thing left for me to do in this blessed world." So she bore us off and very happy we were with her, sometimes driving out, sometimes scrambling over the cliffs, and often going to see the lovely "Curlew," and fetch things out of her that might be wanted. There was some talk of a cruise in the Mediterranean, and this, she told us, would be delightful; so we were sure it would. And we listened with the deepest interest to all her sea stories, though they abounded with phrases which conveyed little meaning to us. When she discovered this, she got books from the yacht and explained various matters to us, such as the difference between a full-rigged ship and a barque, which, she remarked, was so plain that she should have thought any child would have noticed it. She also took a world of trouble to teach us the names of various sails; but I do not remember that I took a special interest in any one but the spanker, the after fore-and-aft sail. According to one of her stories the boom of this alarming sail had knocked a man overboard. I did not doubt the fact; Spanker seemed a name only suitable for people and things that knew how to lay about them, and I was greatly delighted when she said the yacht had no spanker. Tom seemed to be very quick at understanding all she chose to tell him about the yacht. I was very much the reverse; but she comforted me by assurances that I should soon learn when we got on board. Our tutor, Mr. Tolhurst, made his appearance while we were still at this hotel, but as he was supposed to know his duties | towards us, Uncle Rollin never took the least notice of him beyond the first greet- This desirable event at last took place. ing, and never asked any questions even We were charged by Mrs. Brand to be then. "as good as gold," and we should see the anchor hove up. I did not think much of this sight; but the river in a great state of commotion and mud, and two little tug steamers backing and changing about like noisy, quarrelsome ducks, were well worth looking at. And when it was high tide, how busy every one was, and how grand it seemed to be towed out by one of them, and come rocking and curtseying on till we saw great ships and the blue delightful sea! Not so Mrs. Brand; she regarded him with great disfavour, and because the poor man made some remark tending to show that he meant to go out with us after our lessons, she rose, trembling with indignation, and gave him a piece of her mind. "What did he think she was there for? She would have him to know that she had particular orders to take care of us, excepting at such times as we were at our learning with him. He had no call so much as to think about us at other times." She was explaining this to him with great heat, and would have gone into But my pleasure in this sight was soon over. I became first very unhappy, and then very ill. I was carried down by Mrs. |