‘Ay,’ says Harry; ’that’s a larger “if” than you wot of, sweet Lucy.  But would it please you, as well as Mrs. Golding, to have the old man living under this roof?’ and I answered hastily,—­

’Nothing could like me better than to have so kind and fatherly a man dwelling with us, not to say that his holiness and piety would bring down Heaven’s blessing on any house that sheltered him; and I promise you,’ I went on, ’that I, for my part, would show him all a daughter’s love and duty,’—­’and so will Althea,’—­I would fain have added, had not Harry cut my speech short, saying,—­

’That’s a charming word on your lips when you speak of my father—­the word of daughter.  I hope you consider what it may mean to me.’

‘Sure,’ I said, ’I am very willing to take you for my brother, if that is what you aim at.’

‘No, no, Lucy,’ said he; ’I wish not to be your brother.  I refuse altogether to let you think of me as such; but I have nothing to say against Mistress Althea as a sister.  Think well of my words, will you?’ and, taking my hand, he put it to his lips.  And it was not the first time, in truth, that such a courtesy had been shown me; but with a fine gentleman it seems such a matter of course.  It was not so with the frank and blunt sailor, who had had a kind of Puritan bringing-up too; so I suppose that was the reason it made me tremble so strangely, or perhaps the look on his face was the cause.  I was therefore not sorry to see Althea coming up to us again.

’We had better keep nearer the house; their conference may be over, and Mrs. Golding will not know where to find us,’ she said; so we turned back, and all three paced up and down the terrace under the windows for a while, then we went into the hall, and sat there awaiting the end of the disputation.

At last we saw Mr. Truelocke, Mrs. Golding.  James Westrop, and Andrew, all issuing forth together, and all but one seeming mightily disturbed.  Mr. Truelocke looked stern and sad, and Mrs. Golding had been weeping; Andrew gazed on the Quaker with much anxiety, but with such reverence as if he saw in him an angel of God.  As for James Westrop, there was no change in him, only his usual composure seemed a little exalted, if I may so phrase it.  He walked straight to the hall door, Andrew keeping by him.  There he made a stand, and, raising his hands as if in blessing,—­

‘Peace be to this house!’ he said; ’I have been well entreated in it, though it approves me not.  Friend Andrew, thou and I will meet again; but now follow me not.  I may not sleep under this roof, having many miles to go before the sun rises;’ and with that he turned and walked out of the door, which he shut after him; and Andrew, who had stopped at his word, came slowly back to us.  Althea now rose from her place and went towards him; her eyes were very bright, and there was unusual colour in her cheeks; indeed she seemed carried quite out of herself, yet she kept her queenly look and gait withal.