"You will come and dine with us to-day, Mr D'Arcy; and I must beg you to convey an invitation to your uncle," said Mr Marlow. As midshipmen are not always their own masters, I had to explain that I would, if I could; though I did not think my uncle would refuse me leave. I was not disappointed; and at six o'clock I found myself seated at Mr Marlow's dinner-table, and opposite my Commander. I thought the little lady, Miss Alice, still looked very much fatigued. "She is scarcely yet fit to perform the journey to London," observed her father. "Still I am anxious to be there, and must also visit Liverpool in the course of a few days." "If you will allow her to remain with Mrs O'Flaherty, I can answer for my wife being most happy to receive her," said my uncle. To my great joy, though I was afraid of showing if, Mr Marlow at once acceded to the proposal. "I will, then, bring Mrs O'Flaherty over to fetch her," added my uncle. "You will, I suspect, agree very well, Miss Alice." "Indeed, my dear sir, you are laying me under a tenfold obligation," said Mr Marlow. "All our connections are, I believe, in the North, and in dreary London there is no one with whom I could leave the dear child." I don't remember the rest of our conversation. I know that I discussed a very good dinner; and that same evening we got under weigh and ran over to Ryde, and my uncle went up to Daisy Cottage. The next morning my aunt accompanied him on board, and we returned to Portsmouth. She received little Alice, as I knew she would, most kindly, and before many hours had passed they became great friends; and, to make a long story short, Miss Marlow became an inmate for several weeks of Daisy Cottage.