“Ah!” sighed the old man, coming out of his trance. “It warn’t so long ago when there warn’t no coastguard chaps _here_ neither. Then times was better for honest men. On a dark night ’twas easy to put a light on the headland, and sometimes we got a prize or two that way, didn’t we, William dear; but now----” “You shut up!” roared William, giving his parent a very forcible dig in the ribs. “You don’t know what you’re talkin’ about, you don’t.--The old ’un is a bit queer in the head, master,” he explained; “and he’s allus a dreamin’, he is. There ain’t no prizes here, the Lord knows; it’s a’most as much as we can do to git a bit o’ bread. Matt knows that; don’t ee’, Matt?” But whatever Matt knew she evidently meant to keep to herself, for she gave no reply. Presently, after a little more general conversation, Brinkley rose to go. He offered a two-shilling piece to William Jones; and somewhat to his amazement, that worthy accepted it gratefully. “Good-bye, Matt,” said Brinkley. But in a trice Matt was beside him. “I’m going to show you the way,” she explained as she went out with him into the air. “Whew!” said Brinkley when they were fairly clear of the cabin; “the open air is better than that den; but then William Jones is very poor, isn’t he, Matt?” “He _says_ he is.” “But don’t you believe it?” “P’raps I do, and p’raps I don’t; it don’t matter to you, does it?” “Not the least in the world.” They went on for a while in silence; then Matt, who had been furtively watching his face all the while, spoke again. “You ain’t angry, are you, master?” she asked. “I angry?--what for?” “‘Cause I said that just now.” “Dear me, no; whatever _you_ might say, Matt, wouldn’t offend me.” If he expected to please her by this he was mistaken. “That’s ’cause you don’t care. Well, I don’t care neither, if _you_ don’t.” She ran a little ahead of him, and continued to precede him until she gained the last sand-hill, and caught a glimpse of the caravan. Then she paused. “You don’t want me to go no further, do you?” “No.” “All right--good-bye.” She gave a bound, like a young deer, and prepared to start for a swift run back, but the young man called her. “Matt, come here.” She came up to him. He put his arm about her shoulders, bent over her upturned face, and kissed her. In her impulsive way. Matt returned the kiss ardently, then to his amazement, she gave one strange look into his eyes--blushed violently, and hung her head. “Come, give me another, Matt,” he said. But Matt would not comply. With one jerk she freed herself from him; then, swift as lightning, she ran back across the hills towards the sea. CHAPTER VII.--MATT GROWS MATRIMONIAL.