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Page 26
The Captain could contain himself no longer, but burst into a hearty
fit of laughter, in which he was joined by his wife.
"You must excuse me, Mr. Clifford," he said, apologizing; "but, really,
the idea of your formality amused me no little; for, however acceptable
such would prove to the society with which you have been accustomed to
mingle, I am afraid such ceremonious politeness would be hardly popular
here."
"But, really, Captain,"--and Mr. Clifford looked, it must be confessed,
a little vexed,--"you should have informed me who I was going to meet,
before sending me on as herald. I was not aware that I should be thrown
into the society of ladies, or I should have endeavored to appear to a
little better advantage. As it is, I am hardly fit to be seen; and while
I am aware that your good lady excuses me, knowing the circumstances
under which I took shelter with you, yet, to strangers I would appear
rather ludicrous, clad in those ill-fitting garments."
"They are not the most elegant in the world, I acknowledge," was the
response; "but much better than the fishermen's wives and daughters are
accustomed to see, for those are the only =ladies= that inhabit these
sterile regions."
"It surely could not have been a fisherman's daughter that I beheld just
now, as I neared the dwelling to which you directed me; for, seated at
the window, sewing, was a young lady, neatly though plainly dressed;
but her look and manner bespoke her to be far above such a condition of
life."
The Captain looked puzzled, and turning to his wife, said, "It must, be
Ellen Williamson, to whom Mr. Clifford alludes. She is not ill-favored,
by any means, and indeed quite the belle of the place, being by far the
best looking girl in it; nevertheless, I should hardly mistake her for
one of higher rank; but Mr. Clifford has been so long without beholding
woman's face divine, with the exception of yours, my dear, that he is
ready to magnify good looks into positive beauty and grace."
The young man seemed disconcerted.
"I could almost stake my existence, that the person to whom I refer is
not, cannot be the daughter of a fisherman. However, if it should be so,
Captain, and such a region as this can produce so lovely a being, in
spite of its barren wastes and rocky steppes, I should be ready to
surname it Paradise, or The Enchanted Isle, if you will; for certainly
it was a vision of enchantment I just now beheld."
Captain Pierce, though almost imagining that his young friend's
intellect had been deranged, gaily responded:--
"I must warn you in time, I see, for you are in danger of losing your
heart, if it is not gone already. Ellen Williamson is engaged to a
worthy young man, a captain of a fishing schooner, and their marriage
is to be celebrated this spring, so her father informed me when I was
here last year, and I think it only my duty to give you fair warning,
that another claims your enchantress as his own. But here we are at the
cottage, and your doubts will speedily be put to flight, by an
introduction to the girl herself."
The loud knock of the Captain, at the cottage door, was quickly answered
by Mrs. Williamson, who, in terms of genuine pleasure, welcomed his safe
return, and the little party were ushered into the sitting-room, whose
neat and even tasteful appearance, formed a striking contrast to the
generality of the fishermen's huts.
Mr. Clifford's quick eye, as they entered, sought the window, but the
seat was vacant now; evidences of its having been lately occupied were
discernible in a work-basket that stood on a table near, and on which
some embroidered muslin had been lightly thrown.
The Captain smiled as he observed Mr. Clifford's disappointed look, and
turning to Mrs. Williamson, who was assisting his wife in divesting
herself of her shawl and bonnet, inquired after her daughter.
"She is quite well, thank you," was her reply, "and was here a moment
ago, but observing you in the distance, ran to inform her father; who is
working beyond the hill at the back of the dwelling. She will be back
shortly."
A slight sigh escaped from Mr. Clifford, unheard by all save his friend,
who turned to him with a mischievous smile, which the former easily
interpreted as, "I wonder which was right, you or I?"
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