her heart echoed Will's feeling.

"Ay! ay! I dare say it's best. One thing I do wish though, and I
have often wished it when out alone on the deep sea, when even the
most thoughtless can't choose but think on th' past and th' future;
and that is, that I'd never grieved her. O Mary! many a hasty word
comes sorely back on the heart when one thinks one shall never see
the person whom one has grieved again!"

They both stood thinking. Suddenly Mary started.

"That's father's step. And his shirt's not ready!"

She hurried to her irons, and tried to make up for lost time.

John Barton came in. Such a haggard and wildly anxious-looking man,
Will thought he had never seen. He looked at Will, but spoke no
word of greeting or welcome.

"I'm come to bid you good-bye," said the sailor, and would in his
sociable friendly humour have gone on speaking. But John answered
abruptly--

"Good-bye to ye, then."

There was that in his manner which left no doubt of his desire to
get rid of the visitor, and Will accordingly shook hands with Mary,
and looked at John, as if doubting how far to offer to shake hands
with him. But he met with no answering glance or gesture, so he
went his way, stopping for an instant at the door to say--