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brandy and water; and while I smoke a whiff of to bacco, you shall relate the adventures of your voyage. and tell Jess and Olive what a mountain of fish you have brought home with you,-and that will make us all comfortable a bit, wont it? Shiver my topsails, how glad I am to see thee, Craftly!"

And the fisher was glad to see his young compa nion, friend and kinsman, for every feature in his warm and benevolent countenance expressed the most joyous satisfaction; and after another cordial shake of the hand, they adjourned to the old oak parlour, into which Jessy had just brought her work, and was sitting down to it on the entrance of her father, who, pushing Craftly towards her, jocosely exclaimed,

"There's my mountain daisy, fresh as a lark, sweet as a primrose, and plump as a partridge! Well, why dost not give her a hearty smack?-why dost shiver and shake so, lad? Jessy, why dost not get up, wench, and speak to cousin Craftly?"

A salutation now was exchanged between the young kinsfolk, of a much warmer kind than either of them was conscious of at the first moment, and perhaps a certain pressure of Craftly's hand, reminded Jessy that the joy they both expressed at beholding each other after so long an absence, was something more tender than sisterly or brotherly affection, for the hand was quickly and gently withdrawn, and the cheeks of Jessy glowed with blushes, which received à deeper tint, as her sister came into the room, and placed herself between her and Craftly, who took good care to be equally fervent in his salutation of Olive, who, however, received it with a frigidity bordering on rudeness, and who congratulated him on

his successful voyage with a mixture between disdain and pride, her scornful lip scarce deigning to smile even on the pleasantry of her good-humoured father, who, for some reason or other, did not seem to notice the altered manner of his eldest daughter towards his young kinsman, but, calling for his favorite beverage and some pipes and tobacco, bade Craftly sit down and regale himself, and consider that now his anchor was afloat there was no squalls would upset him, and that he was always in safe harbour, and sure of a snug hammock, whenever he was at Herring Dale.—

"For, shiver my topsails," uttered he, "if I don't love thee, lad, as if thee were my own son; and so does Jess, and so does Olly, too, for all they look so shy. Come, girls, what hast thee good in the house to give your cousin Craftly for supper?-a chicken, mayhap, and a bit of bacon,-I warrant me he has stomach enough for either, hast not thee, Craftly?"

"I am much bounden to you, kinsman, but I promised Margaret to return before supper-time," answered Leontine, a little piqued at the coldness that Olive had evinced towards him.

"Didst thou!" cried the fisher, "then shiver my topsails if I let you, that's all, so let Madge pout and scold, if she pleases, but I will have my way,-Jess, do as I bade you."

Jessy immediately arose-"Cousin Craftly will stay to oblige you, father," uttered she, and smiled.

That smile was irresistible, and Craftly sat down to supper, with his kinsman and his family, without a moment's further consideration.

CHAPTER VII.

"Youth is sweet with many a joy
That frolics by in artless measure,
And age is sweet, with less alloy,
In tranquil thought and silent pleasure:
For He who gave the life we share
With ev'ry charm his gift adorning,
Bade Eve her pearly dew-drops wear,

And dress'd in smiles the blush of morning."

As every man (let him deny the assertion how he will) has his peculiar likings and dislikings, his vices and his virtues, have we any right to suppose that the Fisher Blust was without them? Born on the rough seas, his cradle had been the tempest, and the keenblowing winds his nurse; but his education was the gift of Heaven, for earth had not bestowed it on him; he was also the favorite of fortune, but by unworthy or ungenerous means he had never obtained her smiles, and therefore was his heart cast in humanity's softest and purest mould, though his language was not always that of smooth-tongued hypocrisy, or polished eloquence, but it flowed from nature, it flowed from feeling,-Heaven had inspired it, and that is the most resistless language in the world.

Yet it was certain that the Fisher Blust had his eculiarities of humour, in which he could never bear the slightest opposition, or rather contradiction, to his favorite propensities, one of which was, that when

sitting down to his meals, with his family around him, he had given the most peremptory orders never to be called from thence, or disturbed by trifling occasions, on which more than once he had set the whole of his household in an uproar, by betraying marks of the most violent and impetuous passion. The consequence was, that when Shelty arrived at Herring Dale, and informed David that he had particular business with the fisher, and must see him immediately, that he met with a direct refusal to this request, from both David and old Alice, protesting that whatever he had to say must be deferred till their master had eaten his supper, to which he had only just sat down, and from which, on pain of his displeasure, and even dismissal of their service, they never dared to disturb him.

"But what does it signify talking to you about that concern, Mr. Shelty," cried David, "when you know it as well as I do, that lived so long in his service before I was born ;-though you have got the good chance to be in housekeeping now, you have been a servant yourself, and know the ways of Fisher Blust, and that if the devil was riding across his sheet anchor, he would not stir an inch to set it afloat, when once he is stowed in his hammock."

"And, more than that, he has got his kinsman with him, young Mr. Craftly, who is just returned from the herring fishery," cried Alice, who was warming herself before the embers of a large wood fire, after the fatigues of her cookery, without observing the anxiety, and even impatience which was so strongly blended in the countenance of honest Shelty, who, exceedingly provoked at the old woman's apathy, as well as the indifference of David, exclaimed,—

"I tell you that I must see the fisher, and see him I will; I have got a message from Miss Singleton, that admits of no delay, and, as to Mr. Craftly being here, that is no hinderance to the business, for mayhap he will go along with us. There is sad work going on at the Cliff, I promise you, and I should not wonder if, before the morning, we sha'nt all be blown up with gunpowder, and treason, and such like."

"The Lord be good unto me, Master Shelty, and why did you not tell us this before?" exclaimed Alice, instantly putting herself into a more alert position, while David, not staying to hear further particulars, betook himself into the presence of his master, to whom he imparted the intelligence he had just received from honest Shelty, which put the whole of the party, Olive only excepted, in the utmost consternation; and Shelty was instantly summoned before them, and simply related the disastrous event which had taken place at the Cottage on the Cliff, and of the danger which still awaited the situation of Miss Singleton, if she continued there without her property being protected from further molestations from the hands of the treacherous Paulo, who, though he had escaped, had doubtless more accomplices in the business."

By this time the fisher had quitted his station at the head of his table, and, calling loudly to David, bade him muster all the arms together that they had in the house, and to send for Sam Russel, the fisher.

"Meanwhile," cried he, "Craftly, let you and I arm ourselves in the best manner that we can to attack these villains, if they venture there to-night to commit further robbery. Come, let us hasten to the Cliff, and let us save that dear, suffering, persecuted angel from being destroyed."

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