Well, I ran and put on my bonnet; and then just peeping in at the door to FRED, said, "I'm going;" and in another minute was taking my way towards the Steyne. It was such a beautiful day; the sky so light; and the air so fresh and sweet, that--yes, in a little minute, my bit of temper had all passed away--and I did well scold myself that, for a moment, I had entertained it. I walked down upon the beach. Scarcely a soul was there: and I fell into a sort of dreamy meditation--thinking about _that_ morning-gown and _those_ slippers. "I'll get 'em for FRED, that I will;" I resolved within myself. "Roses _shall_ grow at the fireside; and repose _shall_ be in his arm-chair. _That_ I'm determined:" and as I resolved this with myself, everything about me seemed to grow brighter and more beautiful. And then I wished that we were well at home, and the slippers had, for once and all, been tried and fitted. The gulls flying about reminded me of Rajah: and I _did_ wonder at myself that I could think of his loss--that would have nigh killed me at one time--so calmly. But then, as Mamma said, and as I've since discovered,--it's wonderful what other trifles marriage makes one forget. There was nobody upon the beach: so I sat down, and began a day-dreaming. How happy we should be at home, and how softly and sweetly all things would go with us! And still, as the waves ran and burst in foam upon the beach, I thought of the slippers. I hardly knew how long I'd been there, when a little gypsey girl stood at my side, offering a nosegay. I looked and--yes, it was one of the gypsies, at whose tent FRED and I took shelter in the thunderstorm. However, before I could say a word, the little creature dropt the nosegay in my lap; and laughing, ran away. Such a beautiful _bouquet_! Had it been a thing of wild or even of common garden flowers--but it was a _bouquet_ of exotics--and how were gypsies to come by such things? Then something whispered to me--"stole them." I didn't like to throw the thing away; and as I remained meditating, FRED came up. "Pretty flowers, LOTTY," said he. "Yes: selected with taste--great taste, an't they?" said I; and I cannot think what whim it was possessed me to go off in such praise of the _bouquet_. "Pretty well," said FRED. "Pretty well! my dear FRED; if you'll only look and attend, you'll own that the person who composed this _bouquet_ must have known all the true effect of colours." "Indeed," said FRED; as I thought very oddly; so I went on. "Every colour harmonizes; the light, you see, falling exactly in the right place; and yet everything arranged so naturally--so harmoniously. The white is precisely where it should be, and"-- "Is it truly?" and saying this, FRED twitched from among the flowers a note that like a mortal snake as I thought it lay there. "Why, it's a letter!" I cried. "It looks like it," said FRED. "It was brought by a gypsey," said I; and I felt my face burning, and could have cried. "It's a mistake."