She laughed as she replied, "I’m gled I didna show it, for mither would ha’e been ashamed o’ me if she knew, but in my hert I was as frichtened as a bairn." "Never mind," I said, "you have nothing to fear now. You are mine for ever." "For ever," she answered. "That’s a lang, lang time; are ye sure ye’ll never get tired o’ me?" "Sweetheart," I answered fervently, "long ago you told me to love you for your soul. I have learned to do so, and such a love can never die"; and as the captain’s back was turned and there was neither sea-gull nor sailor-man to see, I took her winsome face in both my hands and smothered her with kisses. *CHAPTER XLVI* *SUNSHINE AFTER STORM* The morning after we had waved our farewell to Hector saw us safe in the Isle of Man. Here, through the kindness of the skipper of the _Sea-mew_, we found a lodging until such time as he could arrange for us a passage to England on some barque that was sailing thither. Two days later we were on board the _Kitty-wake_, which carried us safely to the port of Liverpool. On the outskirts of the town, in the little village of Walton, in a cottage behind the old church we found a lodging with the good woman to whom the master of the _Kitty-wake_ had commended us. Now that I was back in England I determined to seek a reconciliation with my uncle and guardian. With some trepidation I wrote him a letter telling him of all that had befallen me, asking his pardon for the anxiety I must have caused him, and craving permission to bring my wife to see him in the old home. It was a hard letter to write, hard and perplexing, and when it was completed I was far from satisfied with it. But Mary, who helped me with wise words, assured me that unless his heart were of adamant it would melt him. So I dispatched it, and waited anxiously for a reply. A fortnight passed, and there was no answer; but one morning when the third week was drawing to a close a post-boy on horseback knocked loudly at the cottage door and I heard him ask: "Does Walter de Brydde, Esquire, live here?" I rushed to the door and received the missive from his hand. "Four shillings to pay, sir," he said. Gladly I paid the fee, and gave him something wherewith to slake his thirst at the nearest tavern. Raising the butt of his crop to his cap, he dug his heels into the flanks of his horse and was off.