I shall not reveal what followed this speech; but I may say that, in the course of the next ten minutes, Lucy mildly reproached me again for having so long delayed my declaration.

“I knew you so well, Miles,” she continued, smiling—­as for blushing, that she did nearly the whole of the remainder of the day—­“I know you so well, Miles, that I am afraid I should have made the declaration myself, had you not found your tongue.  Silly fellow! how could you suppose I would ever love any but you?—­see here!”

She drew the locket I had given her from her dress, and placed it in my hands, still warm from lying near her heart!  I had no choice, but to kiss Lucy again, or to kiss this locket; and I did both, by way of leaving no further grounds for self-reproach.  I say, kiss her again, for, to own the truth, I had already done so many times in that interview.

At length, Chloe put her head in at the door, having taken the precaution first to give a gentle tap, to inquire if dinner should be served.  Lucy dined at four, and it was now drawing toward five.

“Has my father come in?” demanded the young mistress of her attendant.

“Not yet, Miss Lucy; but he nebber t’ink much of dinner, Miss Lucy, ma’am; and masser Mile been so long a sailor, dat I t’ink he must be hungry.  I hear dat he hab berry hard time, dis v’y’ge, Miss Lucy—­too hard for old masser and missus son!”

“Ay, you have seen Neb, if the truth were told, Miss Chloe,” I cried; “and he has been charming your ear with Othello-tales, of his risks and hardships, to make you love him.”

I cannot say that Chloe actually blushed, or, if she did, the spectators were none the wiser for the weakness.  But dark as was the skin of this honest-hearted girl, she had most affectionate feelings, and even her features could betray the emotions she entertained.

“De feller!” she exclaimed.—­“What Miss Lucy please order?  Shall ’e cook dish up?”

“We will have dinner,” Lucy answered, with a smile Chloe’s eyes dancing with a sort of wild delight.  “Tell John to serve it.  Mr. Hardinge will be home soon, in all probability.  We shall be only us three, at table.”

The mentioning of the table caused me to cast an eye at my dress; and the sight of my mate’s attire, neat and in truth becoming as it was, to one who had no reason to be ashamed of his figure, caused me to recollect my poverty, and to feel one twinge at the distance that the world might fancy its own opinions placed between us.  As for birth, my own family was too respectable, and my education had been too good, to leave me now any very keen regrets on such a subject, in a state of society like ours; but there was truly a wide chasm between the heiress of Mrs. Bradfort and a penniless mate of a ship.  Lucy understood me; and, slipping her arm through mine, she walked into the library, saying archly, as she drew me gently along—­