"Thank you very much," answered she. "Isn't it extraordinary weather for this time of the year? I can hardly believe that we are in the middle of summer." Poor Jack left in despair, and this time he whistled a funeral march. But like a true-hearted sailor, he resolved to try again. So the next day he said to her: "Belinda, I'm afraid we are going to have heavy weather, there are so many clouds overhead. Look up out of the sky-light and you will see for yourself." "I would rather not," she said, keeping her eyes tightly closed. "I don't like seeing clouds; it depresses my spirits." "You can look out of the sky-light _now_," he said to her later, "without being afraid of seeing the clouds. They have all cleared away and it is blue again." "Then I can enjoy my afternoon nap," she remarked simply, "without fear of thunder." And on this occasion the poor curly-headed Sailor felt too miserable even to attempt whistling; he went away in dumb despair! It was just about this time that Mademoiselle Cerise was bought by a lady as a present for her little god-daughter. "But the color of the doll's dress has become faded," said the lady. "She must have a new one before I take her." "That can easily be arranged in a day," said the owner of the shop. "Very well," answered the lady, "then I will buy her. You need not send her. I will bring my little friend with me to-morrow afternoon when we shall be passing your shop. She will like to carry her new doll through the streets." Next morning when Mademoiselle Cerise was brought back to the shop after having been absent since the previous afternoon, the Sailor-Lad was struck by something very familiar about the appearance of her new blue muslin dress. At first he could not think why. Then he understood; the muslin was--so it seemed to him--of exactly the same pattern and exactly the same color as Belinda's dress. As he realized this a sudden thought struck him, upon which he acted without delay. Coming up to Belinda softly, who was sitting with her eyes closed, he exclaimed loudly and suddenly in her ear: "Belinda, Belinda! Mademoiselle Cerise has on a dress precisely like yours!" "No!" she said, and opened her eyes in a moment. She gazed around anxiously for Mademoiselle Cerise, but the Sailor-Boy placed himself right before her and looked at her as adoringly as he knew how. "Oh, Belinda," he said, "how I love you!" "Do you?" said she with great surprise. "Well, you don't love me more than I love you." "You make me very happy, my lass," said he. "But why are you astonished at my saying I love you? Have I not told you so before?" "I thought you were quizzing," she answered. "The sad expression of my face should have told you I was not quizzing," he replied. "How could I tell what your expression was when I never saw it?" she asked with some reproach. "You did not see it because you always closed your eyes when I spoke to you," he replied. "What made you do that?" Belinda thought a moment