to catch the words, and she answered,
emphatically, "No, Catherine; you're
mistaken. It ain't crustiness as makes me
speak as I spoke then. But I'm nigh
upon fifty year longer in the world than
you. And I've seen a deal of people, high
and low. I'd do more for that young lass
than you would. But, all the same, I read
her as plain as print. I tell you, it makes
me sorry to see her sometimes."

"Sorry! What for?"

"What for? Well, there's no need to
say whether it's for this or for that; but I
am sorry to see a young creature with no
more religion than a heathen—Lord
forgive me!—and her head turned with vanity
and vain-glory, and caring for nothing but
show-off and being admired. I tell you, if
Miss Veronica was sent to live among black
Indians, she'd paint herself blacker than
any of 'em, if that was what they considered
handsome. Ah, deary me, Catherine, child!
don't get to think too much of that rosy
face of yours. It is pretty now. You
needn't plume yourself up. God made it,
and he didn't make it to last very long."

"There's the door-bell!" said Catherine,
jumping up, not unwilling to escape from
Joanna's moralising.

In a few minutes the hall-door was shut
heavily, and almost immediately afterwards
the vicar rang his bell.

"Was that Miss Veronica?" he asked,
as the girl entered the room.

"No, sir; it was Jemmy Sack, sir. He
brought a message from my young lady to
say as she wouldn't be home to-night."

"Not be home to-night!"

"No, sir. Jemmy Sack saw Miss
Veronica at the school-house, and she bad him
say, as it threatened rain, she should very
likely stay at Mrs. Plew's for the night.
And you wasn't to be alarmed, please sir."

"Alarmed! No, of course I am not
alarmed. But——Where is Jemmy? Is
he gone?"

"Yes, sir; he's gone. He wouldn't
hardly stay long enough to give his
message. He was running down with rain."

"Ha! It is raining still, then, is it?"

"Pouring, sir. And the wind beats the
rain against your face so as I couldn't hardly
shut the door."

"Let me know when Joe Dowsett comes
back."

"Yes, sir."

"What o'clock is it?"

"After eight. I looked at the kitchen
clock just afore I came up-stairs."

When Catherine related to her fellow-
servant what had passed, the old woman
shook her head.

"Ah," said she, "that's the way. The
strange face is gone. There's nobody at
home to amuse my lady, so off she goes to
make a fool of that soft-hearted little
surgeon, that would just lay down and let
her walk over him, if she had a mind to."

"But, Joanna, it's a real bad night. I
don't wonder as she didn't like the walk
home, all along that sloppy lane, or through
the churchyard, as is worse a deal, and
lonesomer."

"It ain't sloppiness, nor yet churchyards
that could keep Miss Veronica if she wanted
to come. And, what's more, if Miss Maud
had been at home she wouldn't have stayed
at old Mrs. Plew's. For Miss Maud she do
take her up pretty short about her goings
on with that soft little man. If there's
anybody on God's earth as Veronica minds,
or looks up to, it's Miss Desmond. And
I've wished more than once lately that Miss
Maud hadn't been away this fortnight."

"Why?" asked Catherine, gazing with
open-mouthed curiosity at Joanna.

"Well, it's no matter. I may ha' been
wrong, or I may ha' been right; but all's
well that ends well, as the saying goes."

And with this oracular response Catherine
was fain to content herself.

THE ATLANTIC YACHT RACE.

IT was not an ancient mariner—it was, on
the contrary, a rather young and inexperienced
mariner—who suggested the ocean yacht race in
1866. At a dinner in New York (all of the
company being members of the New York Yacht
Club), the discussion happened to turn upon the
sea-worthiness of centre-board boats, or boats
fitted with a false movable keel. Thereupon,
Mr. Peter Lorillard offered to match his centre-board
yacht, the Vesta, against Mr. George
Osgood's keel yacht, the Fleetwing, for a race
across the Atlantic. In order to more thoroughly
test the question whether centre-board yachts
could sail only in smooth water, the race was
fixed for the month of December, when rough
weather upon the Atlantic is a certainty.
The match having been made, Mr. Bennett
asked to be allowed to enter his yacht,
the Henrietta, for the race, and this request
was at once granted. The joint stakes amounted
to one hundred thousand dollars in greenbacks
—about sixteen thousand pounds—and were duly
deposited in the hands of the stakeholders. Mr.
William M'Vickar, then commodore of the yacht
club, consented to cross to England in a steamer,
await the arrival of the competitors, and act as
referee for the race. It was further arranged
that the race should be sailed according to the
yacht club regulations concerning canvas and