"Would you indeed, miss!" "Yes; for I love you, oh, so much!" whispered the child innocently in the same low tones. "But you wouldn't let me go, would you?" "I should think not. A nice sailor you would make; a weak little thing like you!" The girl sprang from her crouching attitude, and stood upright. As she did so, expressing in her action what her meaning was, Joshua noticed for the first time that she was growing to be large-limbed and strong. She tossed her hair from her face, and said,-- "Father says I shall be a tall woman." "Well?" "Well," she repeated half-proudly and half-bashfully. "I should not make such a bad sailor, after all." And then with a motion thoroughly childlike, she knelt on the ground before him; and placing her elbows on his knees, rested her chin in her upturned palms, and looked steadily into his face. "If I was a woman," she said slowly and earnestly, "I would go with you, even if you would not let me." "How would you manage that?" "I would follow you secretly." "You must not say so," said Joshua reprovingly; "it would be very, very wrong." "To follow any one you loved?" questioned the child, shaking her head at the same time to denote that she had no doubt whether it would be right or wrong. "Wrong to wish to be with any one you loved? It would be wrong not to wish it. But"--and she looked round, as if fearful, although they were alone, lest her resolution should become known--"nobody should know; I would not tell a living soul." Joshua was silent, puzzled at Minnie's earnestness. Minnie, with the shell at her ear, soon broke the silence, however. "Has your friend--the boy you have told me about"-- "Dan?" "Yes, Dan. Has Dan got a shell?" "No. I don't suppose he ever thought of it." "And yet he loves you very much, and a shell is the only thing that can bring the sea to him." "Who gave you the shell, Minnie?" "No one." "How did you get it, then?" "I took it from a stall." "O Minnie!" exclaimed Joshua, grieved and shocked; "that was very wicked." "I know it was," said Minnie simply; "but I did it for you. Two days afterwards, when father had money given to him, I asked him for some, and he gave it me. I went to the stall where the shells were, and asked the man how much each they were. 'A penny,' he said. I gave him two pence and ran away. That was good, wasn't it?" Joshua shook his head. "It was very wicked to steal the shell; and I don't think you made up for it by paying double when you got the money." But Minnie set her teeth close, and said between them, "It was wicked at first, but it wasn't wicked afterwards, was it, shell?"--She listened with a coaxing air to the shell's reply.--"The shell says it wasn't'. Besides, I did it for you; Dan wouldn't have done it." "No, that he wouldn't."