But the modest fisher-maiden never dreamed of any warmer feeling than kindness on the one side and gratitude on the other; and this unconsciousness was her greatest charm, especially to Captain John, who hated coquettes, and shunned the silly girls who wasted time in idle flirtation when they had far better and wholesomer pastimes to enjoy.  The handsome sailor was a favorite, being handy at all sorts of fun, and the oldest of the young men at the Point.  He was very courteous in his hearty way to every woman he met, from the stateliest dowager to the dowdiest waiter-girl, but devoted himself entirely to Aunt Mary, and seemed to have no eyes for younger fairer faces.

“He must have a sweetheart over the sea somewhere,” the damsels said among themselves, as they watched him pace the long piazzas alone, or saw him swinging in his hammock with eyes dreamily fixed on the blue bay before him.

Miss Scott only smiled when curious questions were asked her, and said she hoped John would find his mate some time, for he deserved the best wife in the world, having been a good son and an honest boy for six-and-twenty years.

“What is it, Captain,—­a steamer?” asked Mr. Fred, as he came by the cottage one August afternoon, with his usual escort of girls, all talking at once about some very interesting affair.

“Only a sail-boat; no steamers to-day,” answered Captain John, dropping the glass from his eye with a start.

“Can you see people on the Island with that thing?  We want to know if Ruth is at home, because if she isn’t we can’t waste time going over,” said Miss Ellery, with her sweetest smile.

“I think not.  That boat is Sammy’s, and as there is a speck of red aboard, I fancy Miss Ruth is with him.  They are coming this way, so you can hail them if you like,” answered the sailor, with “a speck of red” on his own sunburnt cheek if any one had cared to look.

“Then we’ll wait here if we may.  We ordered her to bring us a quantity of bulrushes and flowers for our tableaux to-night, and we want her to be Rebecca at the well.  She is so dark, and with her hair down, and gold bangles and scarlet shawls, I think she would do nicely.  It takes so long to arrange the ‘Lily Maid of Astolat’ we must have an easy one to come just before that, and the boys are wild to make a camel of themselves, so we planned this.  Won’t you be Jacob or Abraham or whoever the man with the bracelets was?” asked Miss Ellery, as they all settled on the steps in the free-and-easy way which prevailed at the Point.

“No, thank you, I don’t act.  Used to dance hornpipes in my young days, but gave up that sort of thing some time ago.”

“How unfortunate!  Every one acts; it’s all the fashion,” began Miss Ellery, rolling up her blue eyes imploringly.

“So I see; but I never cared much for theatricals, I like natural things better.”

“How unkind you are!  I quite depended on you for that, since you wouldn’t be a corsair.”