"But," said Philip, returning to the charge, "why should not you, Mrs.Caruthers, do what you like? Why should you be displeased in Saratoga,or anywhere, merely because other people are pleased there? Why not doas you like?"

"You know one can't do as one likes in this world," Julia returned.

"Why not, if one can, – as you can?" said Philip, laughing.

"But that's ridiculous," said Julia, raising herself up with a littleshow of energy. "You know perfectly well, Mr. Dillwyn, that peoplebelonging to the world must do as the rest of the world do. Nobody isin town. If we stayed here, people would get up some unspeakable storyto account for our doing it; that would be the next thing."

"Dillwyn, where are you going?" said Tom suddenly from the floor, wherehe had been more uneasy than his situation accounted for.

"I don't know – perhaps I'll take your train and go to Saratoga too. Notfor fear, though."

"That's capital!" said Tom, half raising himself up and leaning on hiselbow. "I'll turn the care of my family over to you, and I'll seek thewilderness."

"What wilderness?" asked his sister sharply.

"Some wilderness – some place where I shall not see crinoline, nor beexpected to do the polite thing. I'll go for the sea, I guess."

"What have you in your head, Tom?"

"Refreshment."

"You've just come from the sea."

"I've just come from the sea where it was fashionable. Now I'll findsome place where it is unfashionable. I don't favour Saratoga any morethan you do. It's a jolly stupid; that's what it is."

"But where do you want to go, Tom? you have some place in your head."

"I'd as lief go off for the Isles of Shoals as anywhere," said Tom, lying down again. "They haven't got fashionable yet. I've a notion tosee 'em first."

"I doubt about that," remarked Philip gravely. "I am not sure but the

Isles of Shoals are about the most distinguished place you could go to."

"Isles of Shoals. Where are they? and what are they?" Julia asked.

"A few little piles of rock out in the Atlantic, on which it spends itswrath all the year round; but of course the ocean is not always raging; and when it is not raging, it smiles; and they say the smile is nowheremore bewitching than at the Isles of Shoals," Philip answered.

"But will nobody be there?"

"Nobody you would care about," returned Tom.

"Then what'll you do?"

"Fish."

"Tom! you're not a fisher. You needn't pretend it."

"Sun myself on the rocks."

"You are brown enough already."

"They say, everything gets bleached there."

"Then I should like to go. But I couldn't stand the sea and solitude, and I don't believe you can stand it. Tom, this is ridiculous. You'renot serious?"

"Not often," said Tom; "but this time I am. I am going to the Isles ofShoals. If Philip will take you to Saratoga, I'll start to-morrow; otherwise I will wait till I get you rooms and see you settled."

"Is there a hotel there?"

"Something that does duty for one, as I understand."

"Tom, this is too ridiculous, and vexatious," remonstrated his sister.

"We want you at Saratoga."

"Well, it is flattering; but you wanted me at St. Augustine a littlewhile ago, and you had me. You can't always have a fellow. I'm going tosee the Isles of Shoals before they're the rage. I want to get cooledoff, for once, after Florida and Newport, besides."

"Isn't that the place where Mrs. Wishart is gone," said Philip now.

"I don't know – yes, I believe so."

"Mrs. Wishart!" exclaimed Julia in a different tone. "She gone to the

Isles of Shoals?"

"'Mrs. Wishart!" Mrs. Caruthers echoed. "Has she got that girl withher?"

Silence. Then Philip remarked with a laugh, that Tom's plan of "coolingoff" seemed problematical.

"Tom," said his sister solemnly, "is Miss Lothrop going to be there?"

"Don't know, upon my word," said Tom. "I haven't heard."

"She is, and that's what you're going for. O Tom, Tom!" cried hissister despairingly. "Mr. Dillwyn, what shall we do with him?"

"Can't easily manage a fellow of his size, Miss Julia. Let him take hischance."

"Take his chance! Such a chance!"

"Yes, Philip," said Tom's mother; "you ought to stand by us."

"With all my heart, dear Mrs. Caruthers; but I am afraid I should be aweak support. Really, don't you think Tom might do worse?"

"Worse?" said the elder lady; "what could be worse than for him tobring such a wife into the house?"

Tom gave an inarticulate kind of snort just here, which was not lackingin expression. Philip went on calmly.

"Such a wife – " he repeated. "Mrs. Caruthers, here is room fordiscussion. Suppose we settle, for example, what Tom, or anybodysituated like Tom, ought to look for and insist upon finding, in awife. I wish you and Miss Julia would make out the list ofqualifications."

"Stuff!" muttered Tom. "It would be hard lines, if a fellow must have awife of his family's choosing!"

"His family can talk about it," said Philip, "and certainly will. Holdyour tongue, Tom. I want to hear your mother."

"Why, Mr. Dillwyn," said the lady, "you know as well as I do; and youthink just as I do about it, and about this Miss Lothrop."

"Perhaps; but let us reason the matter out. Maybe it will do Tom good.What ought he to have in a wife, Mrs. Caruthers? and we'll try to showhim he is looking in the wrong quarter."

"I'm not looking anywhere!" growled Tom; but no one believed him.

"Well, Philip," Mrs. Caruthers began, "he ought to marry a girl of goodfamily."

"Certainly. By 'good family' you mean – ?"

"Everybody knows what I mean."

"Possibly Tom does not."

"I mean, a girl that one knows about, and that everybody knows about; that has good blood in her veins."

"The blood of respectable and respected ancestors," Philip said.

"Yes! that is what I mean. I mean, that have been respectable andrespected for a long time back – for years and years."

"You believe in inheritance."

"I don't know about that," said Mrs. Caruthers. "I believe in family."

"Well, I believe in inheritance. But what proof is there that theyoung lady of whom we were speaking has no family?"

Julia raised herself up from her reclining position, and Mrs. Carutherssat suddenly forward in her chair.

"Why, she is nobody!" cried the first. "Nobody knows her, nor anythingabout her."

"Here– " said Philip.

"Here! Of course. Where else?"

"Yes, just listen to that!" Tom broke in. "I xxow should anybody knowher here, where she has never lived! But that's the way – "

"I suppose a Sandwich Islander's family is known in the Sandwich

Islands," said Mrs. Caruthers. "But what good is that to us?"

"Then you mean, the family must be a New York family?"

"N – o," said Mrs. Caruthers hesitatingly; "I don't mean that exactly.

There are good Southern families – "

"And good Eastern families!" put in Tom.

"But nobody knows anything about this girl's family," said the ladiesboth in a breath.

"Mrs. Wishart does," said Philip. "She has even told me. The familydates back to the beginning of the colony, and boasts of extremerespectability. I forget how many judges and ministers it can count up; and at least one governor of the colony; and there is no spot or stainupon it anywhere."

There was silence.

"Go on, Mrs. Caruthers. What else should Tom look for in a wife?"

"It is not merely what a family has been, but what its associationshave been," said Mrs. Caruthers.

"These have evidently been respectable."

"But it is not that only, Philip. We want the associations of goodsociety; and we want position. I want Tom to marry a woman of goodposition."

"Hm!" said Philip. "This lady has not been accustomed to anything thatyou would call 'society,' and 'position' – But your son has positionenough, Mrs. Caruthers. He can stand without much help."

"Now, Philip, don't you go to encourage Tom in this mad fancy. It'sjust a fancy. The girl has nothing; and Tom's wife ought to be – Ishall break my heart if Tom's wife is not of good family and position, and good manners, and good education. That's the least I can ask for."

"She has as good manners as anybody you know!" said Tom flaring up. "Asgood as Julia's, and better."

"I should say, she has no manner whatever," remarked Miss Julia quietly.

"What is 'manner'?" said Tom indignantly. "I hate it. Manner! They allhave 'manner' – except the girls who make believe they have none; andtheir 'manner' is to want manner. Stuff!"

"But the girl knows nothing," persisted Mrs. Caruthers.

"She knows absolutely nothing," – Julia confirmed this statement.

Silence.

"She speaks correct English," said Dillwyn. "That at least."

"English! – but not a word of French or of any other language. And shehas no particular use for the one language she does know; she cannottalk about anything. How do you know she speaks good grammar, Mr.Dillwyn? did you ever talk with her?"

"Yes – " said Philip, making slow admission. "And I think you aremistaken in your other statement; she can talk on some subjects.Probably you did not hit the right ones."

"Well, she does not know anything," said Miss Julia.

"That is bad. Perhaps it might be mended."

"How? Nonsense! I beg your pardon, Mr. Dillwyn; but you cannot make anaccomplished woman out of a country girl, if you don't begin before sheis twenty. And imagine Tom with such a wife! and me with such a sister!"

"I cannot imagine it. Don't you see, Tom, you must give it up?" Dillwynsaid lightly.

"I'll go to the Isles of Shoals and think about that," said Tom.

Wherewith he got up and went off.

"Mamma," said Julia then, "he's going to that place to meet that girl.Either she is to be there with Mrs. Wishart, or he is reckoning to seeher by the way; and the Isles of Shoals are just a blind. And the onlything left for you and me is to go too, and be of the party!"

"Tom don't want us along," said Tom's mother.

"Of course he don't want us along; and I am sure we don't want iteither; but it is the only thing left for us to do. Don't you see?She'll be there, or he can stop at her place by the way, going andcoming; maybe Mrs. Wishart is asking her on purpose – I shouldn't be atall surprised – and they'll make up the match between them. It would bea thing for the girl, to marry Tom Caruthers!"

Mrs. Caruthers groaned, I suppose at the double prospect before her andbefore Tom. Philip was silent. Miss Julia went on discussing andarranging; till her brother returned.

"Tom," said she cheerfully, "we've been talking over matters, and I'lltell you what we'll do – if you won't go with us, we will go with you!"

"Where?"

"Why, to the Isles of Shoals, of course."

"You and mother!" said Tom.

"Yes. There is no fun in going about alone. We will go along with you."

"What on earth will you do at a place like that?"

"Keep you from being lonely."

"Stuff, Julia! You will wish yourself back before you've been there anhour; and I tell you, I want to go fishing. What would become ofmother, landed on a bare rock like that, with nobody to speak to, andnothing but crabs to eat?"

"Crabs!" Julia echoed. Philip burst into a laugh.

"Crabs and mussels," said Tom. "I don't believe you'll get anythingelse."

"But is Mrs. Wishart gone there?"

"Philip says so."

"Mrs. Wishart isn't a fool."

And Tom was unable to overthrow this argument.

CHAPTER XII
APPLEDORE

It was a very bright, warm August day when Mrs. Wishart and her youngcompanion steamed over from Portsmouth to the Isles of Shoals. It wasLois's first sight of the sea, for the journey from New York had beenmade by land; and the ocean, however still, was nothing but a mostwonderful novelty to her. She wanted nothing, she could well-nighattend to nothing, but the movements and developments of this vast andmysterious Presence of nature. Mrs. Wishart was amused and yet halfprovoked. There was no talk in Lois; nothing to be got out of her; hardly any attention to be had from her. She sat by the vessel's sideand gazed, with a brow of grave awe and eyes of submissive admiration; rapt, absorbed, silent, and evidently glad. Mrs. Wishart was provokedat her, and envied her.

"What do you find in the water, Lois?"

"O, the wonder of it!" said the girl, with a breath of rapture.

"Wonder! what wonder? I suppose everything is wonderful, if you look atit. What do you see there that seems so very wonderful?"

"I don't know, Mrs. Wishart. It is so great! and it is so beautiful!and it is so awful!"

"Beautiful?" said Mrs. Wishart. "I confess I do not see it. I supposeit is your gain, Lois. Yes, it is awful enough in a storm, but notto-day. The sea is quiet."

Quiet! with those low-rolling, majestic soft billows. The quiet of alion asleep with his head upon his paws. Lois did not say what shethought.

"And you have never seen the sea-shore yet," Mrs. Wishart went on."Well, you will have enough of the sea at the Isles. And those arethey, I fancy, yonder. Are those the Isles of Shoals?" she asked apassing man of the crew; and was answered with a rough voiced, "Yaw, mum; they be th' oisles."

Lois gazed now at those distant brown spots, as the vessel drew nearerand nearer. Brown spots they remained, and, to her surprise, small brown spots. Nearer and nearer views only forced the conviction deeper.The Isles seemed to be merely some rough rocky projections from oldOcean's bed, too small to have beauty, too rough to have value. Werethose the desired Isles of Shoals? Lois felt deep disappointment.Little bits of bare rock in the midst of the sea; nothing more. Notrees, she was sure; as the light fell she could even see no green. Whywould they not be better relegated to Ocean's domain, from which theywere only saved by a few feet of upheaval? why should anybody livethere? and still more, why should anybody make a pleasure visit there?

"I suppose the people are all fishermen?" she said to Mrs. Wishart.

"I suppose so. O, there is a house of entertainment – a sort of hotel."

"How many people live there?"

"My dear, I don't know. A handful, I should think, by the look of theplace. What tempts them, I don't see."

Nor did Lois. She was greatly disappointed. All her fairy visions werefled. No meadows, no shady banks, no soft green dales; nothing she hadever imagined in connection with country loveliness. Her expectationssank down, collapsed, and vanished for ever.

She showed nothing of all this. She helped Mrs. Wishart gather hersmall baggage together, and followed her on shore, with her usual quietthoughtfulness; saw her established in the hotel, and assisted her toget things a little in order. But then, when the elder lady lay down to"catch a nap," as she said, before tea, Lois seized her flat hat andfled out of the house.

There was grass around it, and sheep and cows to be seen. Alas, notrees. But there were bushes certainly growing here and there, and Loishad not gone far before she found a flower. With that in her hand shesped on, out of the little grassy vale, upon the rocks that surroundedit, and over them, till she caught sight of the sea. Then she made herway, as she could, over the roughnesses and hindrances of the rocks, till she got near the edge of the island at that place; and sat down alittle above where the billows of the Atlantic were rolling in. Thewide sea line was before her, with its mysterious and infinite depth ofcolour; at her feet the waves were coming in and breaking, slow andgently to-day, yet every one seeming to make an invasion of the littlerocky domain which defied it, and to retire unwillingly, foiled, beaten, and broken, to gather new forces and come on again for a newattack. Lois watched them, fascinated by their persistence, theirsluggish power, and yet their ever-recurring discomfiture; admired thechanging colours and hues of the water, endlessly varying, cool andlovely and delicate, contrasting with the wet washed rocks and the darkline of sea-weed lying where high tide had cast it up. The breeze blewin her face gently, but filled with freshness, life, and pungency ofthe salt air; sea-birds flew past hither and thither, sometimesuttering a cry; there was no sound in earth or heaven but that of thewater and the wild birds. And by and by the silence, and the broadfreedom of nature, and the sweet freshness of the life-giving breeze, began to take effect upon the watcher. She drank in the air in deepbreaths; she watched with growing enjoyment the play of light andcolour which offered such an endless variety; she let slip, softly andinsensibly, every thought and consideration which had any sort of careattached to it; her heart grew light, as her lungs took in the saltbreath, which had upon her somewhat the effect of champagne. Lois wasat no time a very heavy-hearted person; and I lack a similitude whichshould fitly image the elastic bound her spirits made now. She neverstirred from her seat, till it suddenly came into her head to rememberthat there might be dinner or supper in prospect somewhere. She rosethen and made her way back to the hotel, where she found Mrs. Wishartjust arousing from her sleep.

"Well, Lois" said the lady, with the sleep still in her voice, "wherehave you been? and what have you got? and what sort of a place have wecome to?"

"Look at that, Mrs. Wishart!"

"What's that? A white violet! Violets here, on these rocks?"

"Did you ever see such a white violet? Look at the size of it, andthe colour of it. And here's pimpernel. And O, Mrs. Wishart, I am soglad we came here, that I don't know what to do! It is just delightful.The air is the best air I ever saw."

"Can you see it, my dear? Well, I am glad you are pleased. What'sthat bell for, dinner or supper? I suppose all the meals here arealike. Let us go down and see."

Lois had an excellent appetite.

"This fish is very good, Mrs. Wishart."

"O my dear, it is just fish! You are in a mood to glorify everything. Iam envious of you, Lois."

"But it is really capital; it is so fresh. I don't believe you can getsuch blue fish in New York."

"My dear, it is your good appetite. I wish I was as hungry, foranything, as you are."

"Is it Mrs. Wishart?" asked a lady who sat opposite them at the table.

She spoke politely, with an accent of hope and expectation. Mrs.

Wishart acknowledged the identity.

"I am very happy to meet you. I was afraid I might find absolutely noone here that I knew. I was saying only the other day – three days ago; this is Friday, isn't it? yes; it was last Tuesday. I was saying to mysister after our early dinner – we always have early dinner at home, andit comes quite natural here – we were sitting together after dinner, andtalking about my coming. I have been meaning to come ever since threeyears ago; wanting to make this trip, and never could get away, untilthis summer things opened out to let me. I was saying to Lottie I wasafraid I should find nobody here that I could speak to; and when I sawyou, I said to myself, Can that be Mrs. Wishart? – I am so very glad.You have just come?"

"To-day," – Mrs. Wishart assented.

"Came by water?"

"From Portsmouth."

"Yes – ha, ha!" said the affable lady. "Of course. You could not wellhelp it. But from New York?"

"By railway. I had occasion to come by land."

"I prefer it always. In a steamer you never know what will happen toyou. If it's good weather, you may have a pleasant time; but you nevercan tell. I took the steamer once to go to Boston – I mean toStonington, you know; and the boat was so loaded with freight of somesort or other that she was as low down in the water as she could be andbe safe; and I didn't think she was safe. And we went so slowly! andthen we had a storm, a regular thunderstorm and squall, and the rainpoured in torrents, and the Sound was rough, and people were sick, andI was very glad and thankful when we got to Stonington. I thought itwould never be for pleasure that I would take a boat again."

"The Fall River boats are the best."

"I daresay they are, but I hope to be allowed to keep clear of themall. You had a pleasant morning for the trip over from Portsmouth."

"Very pleasant."

"It is such a gain to have the sea quiet! It roars and beats hereenough in the best of times. I am sure I hope there will not a stormcome while we are here; for I should think it must be dreadfullydreary. It's all sea here, you know."

"I should like to see what a storm here is like," Lois remarked.

"O, don't wish that!" cried the lady, "or your wish may bring it. Don'tthink me a heathen," she added, laughing; "but I have known such queerthings. I must tell you – "

"You never knew a wish bring fair weather?" said Lois, smiling, as thelady stopped for a mouthful of omelet.

"O no, not fair weather; I am sure, if it did, we should have fairweather a great deal more than we do. But I was speaking of a storm, and I must tell you what I have seen. – These fish are very deliciouslycooked!"

"They understand fish, I suppose, here," said Lois.

"We were going down the bay to escort some friends who were going toEurope. There was my cousin Llewellyn and his wife, and her sister, andone or two others in the party; and Lottie and I went to see them off.I always think it's rather a foolish thing to do, for why shouldn't onesay good-bye at the water's edge, when they go on board, instead ofmaking a journey of miles out to sea to say it there? – but this timeLottie wanted to go. She had never seen the ocean, except from theland; and you know that is very different; so we went. Lottie alwayslikes to see all she can, and is never satisfied till she has got tothe bottom of everything – "

"She would be satisfied with something less than that in this case?"said Lois.

"Hey? She was satisfied," said the lady, not apparently catching Lois'smeaning; "she was more delighted with the sea than I was; for though itwas quiet, they said, there was unquietness enough to make a good dealof motion; the vessel went sailing up and down a succession of smallrolling hills, and I began to think there was nothing steady inside ofme, any more than _out_side. I never can bear to be rocked, in anyshape or form."

"You must have been a troublesome baby," said Lois.

"I don't know how that was; naturally I have forgotten; but since Ihave been old enough to think for myself, I never could bearrocking-chairs. I like an easy-chair – as easy as you please – but I wantit to stand firm upon its four legs. So I did not enjoy the water quiteas well as my sister did. But she grew enthusiastic; she wished she wasgoing all the way over, and I told her she would have to drop me atsome wayside station – "

"Where?" said Lois, as the lady stopped to carry her coffee cup to herlips. The question seemed not to have been heard.

"Lottie wished she could see the ocean in a mood not quite so quiet; she wished for a storm; she said she wished a little storm would get upbefore we got home, that she might see how the waves looked. I beggedand prayed her not to say so, for our wishes often fulfil themselves.Isn't it extraordinary how they do? Haven't you often observed it, Mrs.Wishart?"

"In cases where wishes could take effect," returned that lady. "In thecase of the elements, I do not see how they could do that."

"But I don't know how it is," said the other; "I have observed it sooften."

"You call me by name," Mrs. Wishart went on rather hastily; "and I havebeen trying in vain to recall yours. If I had met you anywhere else, ofcourse I should be at no loss; but at the Isles of Shoals one expectsto see nobody, and one is surprised out of one's memory."

"I am never surprised out of my memory," said the other, chuckling. "Iam poor enough in all other ways, I am sure, but my memory is good. Ican tell you where I first saw you. You were at the Catskill House, with a large party; my brother-in-law Dr. Salisbury was there, and hehad the pleasure of knowing you. It was two years ago."

"I recollect being at the Catskill House very well," said Mrs. Wishart,"and of course it was there I became acquain'ted with you; but you mustexcuse me, at the Isles of Shoals, for forgetting all my connectionswith the rest of the world."

"O, I am sure you are very excusable," said Dr. Salisbury'ssister-in-law. "I am delighted to meet you again. I think one isparticularly glad of a friend's face where one had not expected to seeit; and I really expected nothing at the Isles of Shoals – but sea air."

"You came for sea air?"

"Yes, to get it pure. To be sure, Coney Island beach is not faroff – for we live in Brooklyn; but I wanted the sea air wholly seaair – quite unmixed; and at Coney Island, somehow New York is so near, Icouldn't fancy it would be the same thing. I don't want to smell thesmoke of it. And I was curious about this place too; and I have solittle opportunity for travelling, I thought it was a pity now when Ihad the opportunity, not to take the utmost advantage of it. Theylaughed at me at home, but I said no, I was going to the Isles ofShoals or nowhere. And now I am very glad I came." —

"Lois," Mrs. Wishart said when they went back to their own room, "Idon't know that woman from Adam. I have not the least recollection ofever seeing her. I know Dr. Salisbury – and he might be anybody'sbrother-in-law. I wonder if she will keep that seat opposite us?Because she is worse than a smoky chimney!"

"O no, not that," said Lois. "She amuses me."

"Everything amuses you, you happy creature! You look as if the fairiesthat wait upon young girls had made you their special care. Did youever read the 'Rape of the Lock'?"

"I have never read anything," Lois answered, a little soberly.

"Never mind; you have so much the more pleasure before you. But the'Rape of the Lock' – in that story there is a young lady, a famousbeauty, whose dressing-table is attended by sprites or fairies. One ofthem colours her lips; another hides in the folds of her gown; anothertucks himself away in a curl of her hair. – You make me think of thatyoung lady."