Among the passengers was George Moreland, whose parents had died some months before, leaving him and a large fortune to the guardianship of his uncle, a wealthy merchant residing in Boston.  This uncle, Mr. Selden, had written for his nephew to join him in America, and it was for this purpose that George had taken passage in the Windermere.  He was a frank, generous-hearted boy, and though sometimes a little too much inclined to tease, he was usually a favorite with all who knew him.  He was a passionate admirer of beauty, and the moment the Howards came on board and he caught a sight of Ella, he felt irresistibly attracted towards her, and ere long had completely won her heart by coaxing her into his lap and praising her glossy curls.  Mary, whose sensitive nature shrank from the observation of strangers, and who felt that one as handsome as George Moreland must necessarily laugh at her, kept aloof, and successfully eluded all his efforts to look under her bonnet.  This aroused his curiosity, and when he saw her move away to a distant part of the vessel, he followed her, addressing to her the remark with which we commenced this chapter.  As George had said he liked little girls, though he greatly preferred talking to pretty ones.  On this occasion, however, he resolved to make himself agreeable, and in ten minutes’ time he had so far succeeded in gaining Mary’s friendship, that she allowed him to untie the blue bonnet, which he carefully removed, and then when she did not know it, he scanned her features attentively as if trying to discover all the beauty there was in them.

At last gently smoothing back her hair, which was really bright and glossy, he said, “Who told you that you were so ugly looking?” The tears started to Mary’s eyes, and her chin quivered, as she replied, “Father says so, Ella says so, and every body says so, but mother and Franky.”

“Every body doesn’t always tell the truth,” said George, wishing to administer as much comfort as possible.  “You’ve got pretty blue eyes, nice brown hair, and your forehead, too, is broad and high; now if you hadn’t such a muddy complexion, bony cheeks, little nose, big ears and awful teeth, you wouldn’t be such a fright!”

George’s propensity to tease had come upon him, and in enumerating the defects in Mary’s face, he purposely magnified them; but he regretted it, when he saw the effect his words produced.  Hiding her face in her hands, Mary burst into a passionate fit of weeping, then snatching the bonnet from George’s lap, she threw it on her head and was hurrying away, when George caught her and pulling her back, said, “Forgive me, Mary.  I couldn’t help plaguing you a little, but I’ll try and not do it again.”

For a time George kept this resolution, but he could not conceal the preference which he felt for Ella, whose doll-like face, and childish ways were far more in keeping with his taste, than Mary’s old look and still older manner.  Whenever he noticed her at all, he spoke kindly to her; but she knew there was a great difference between his treatment of her and Ella, and oftentimes, when saying her evening prayer she prayed that George Moreland might love her a little just a little.