He mastered his hearers, and played on their breasts as David played the harp, and perhaps Achilles; Bochsa never, nor any of his tribe. He made the old man forget his genealogies, his small ambition, his gout, his years, and be a boy again an hour or two in thought, and blood, and early fire. He made the women's bosoms pant and swell, and seem to aspire to be the nests and cradles of heroes, and their eyes flash and glisten, and their cheeks flush and grow pale by turns; and the four little papered walls that confined them seemed to fall without noise, and they were away in thought out of a carpeted temple of wax, small talk, nonentity, and nonentities, away to sea-breezes that they almost felt in their hair and round their temples as their hearts rose and fell upon a broad swell of passion, perils, waves, male men, realities. The spell was at its height, when the sea-wizard's eye fell on the mantel-piece. Died in a moment his noble ardor: “Why, it is eight bells,” said he, servilely; then, doggedly, “time to turn in.” “Hang that clock!” shouted Mr. Fountain; “I'll have it turned out of the room.” Said Lucy, with gentle enthusiasm, “It must be beautiful to be a sailor, and to have seen the real world, and, above all, to be brave and strong like Mr. ----,. must it not, uncle?” and she looked askant at David's square shoulders and lion eye, and for the first time in her life there crossed her an undefined instinct that this gentleman must be the male of her species. “As for his courage,” said Eve, “that we have only his own word for.” David grinned. “Not even that,” replied Lucy, “for I observed he spoke but little of himself.” “I did not notice that,” said Eve, pertly; “but as for his strength, he certainly is as strong as a great bear, and as rude. What do you think? my lord carried me all the way from the top of the green lane to your house, and I am no feather.” “No, a skein of silk,” put in David. “I asked the gentleman politely to put me down, and he wouldn't, so then I boxed his ears.” “Oh, how could you?” “Oh, bless you, he never hits me again; he is too great a coward. And the great mule carried me all the more--carried me to your very door.” “I almost think--I believe I could guess why he carried you, if you will not be offended at my assuming the interpreter,” said Lucy, looking at Eve and speaking at David. “You have thin shoes on, Miss Dodd; now I remember the gravel ends at green lane, and the grass begins; so, from what we know of Mr. Dodd, perhaps he carried you that you might not have damp feet.” “Nothing of the kind--yes, it was, though, by his coloring up. La! David, dear boy!” “What is a man alongside for but to keep a girl out of mischief?” said David, bruskly. “Pray convert all your sex to that view,” laughed Lucy.