“You did?” he exclaimed, turning a severe look upon the young girl (he was a middle-aged man of stern aspect).  “Suppose I had not been near enough to catch her, and she had been precipitated to the ground from that great height—­how would you have felt?”

“I could never have forgiven myself or had another happy moment while I lived,” Betty said, in half tremulous tones, “I can never thank you enough, sir, for saving her,” she added, warmly.

“No, nor I,” said the keeper.  “I should always have felt that I was to blame for letting her go out; but you were close behind, sir, and the other gentleman before, and I took you to be all one party, and of course thought you would take care of the little girl.”

“She has had quite a severe shock,” the gentleman remarked, again looking at Lulu, who was very pale and trembling like a leaf.  “You had better wait and let me help you down the stairs.  I shall be ready in a very few moments.”

Betty thanked him and said they would wait.

While they did so she tried to jest and laugh with Lulu; but the little girl was in no mood for such things; she felt sick and dizzy at the thought of the danger she had escaped but a moment ago.  She made no reply to Betty’s remarks, and indeed seemed scarcely to hear them.

She was quite silent, too, while being helped down the stairs by the kind stranger, but thanked him prettily as they separated.

“You are heartily welcome,” he said; “but if you will take my advice you will never go needlessly into such danger again.”

With that he shook hands with her, bowed to Betty, and moved away.

“Will you go in and rest awhile, Lu?” asked Betty.

“No, thank you; I’m not tired; and I’d rather be close by the sea.  Tell me another of your stories, won’t you? to help me forget how near I came to falling.”

Betty good-naturedly complied, but found Lulu a less interested listener than before.

The “squantum” party were late in returning, and when they arrived Betty and Lulu were in bed; but the door between the room where Lulu lay and the parlor, or sitting-room, as it was indifferently called, was ajar, and she could hear all that was said there.

“Where is Lulu?” her father asked of the maid-servant who had been left behind.

“Gone to bed, sir,” was the answer.

Then the captain stepped to the chamber door, pushed it wider open, and came to the bedside.

Lulu pretended to be asleep, keeping her eyes tight shut, but all the time feeling that he was standing there and looking down at her.

He sighed slightly, turned away, and went from the room; then she buried her face in the pillows and cried softly but quite bitterly.

“He might have kissed me,” she said to herself; “he would if he loved me as much as he used to before he got married.”

Then his sigh seemed to echo in her heart, and she grew remorseful over the thought that her misconduct had grieved as well as displeased him.