“True: but Caroline would never accept of stray hearts,” said Godfrey. “See how her lip curls with pride at the bare imagination!” “Pride never curled Caroline’s lip,” cried Rosamond: “besides, pride is very becoming to a woman. No woman can be good for much without it, can she, mother?” “Before you fly off, Rosamond, to my mother as to an ally, whom you are sure I cannot resist,” said Godfrey, “settle first whether you mean to defend Caroline upon the ground of her having or not having pride.” A fresh gust of wind rose at this moment, and Rosamond listened to it anxiously. “Seriously, Godfrey,” said she, “do you remember the ship-wrecks last winter?” As she spoke, Rosamond went to one of the windows, and opened the shutter. Her sister Caroline followed, and they looked out in silence. “I see a light to the left of the beacon,” said Caroline.--“I never saw a light there before--What can it mean?” “Only some fishermen,” said Godfrey. “But, brother, it is quite a storm,” persisted Rosamond. “Only equinoctial gales, my dear.” “Only equinoctial gales! But to drowning people it would be no comfort that they were shipwrecked only by equinoctial gales. There! there! what do you think of that blast?” cried Rosamond; “is not there some danger now?” “Godfrey will not allow it,” said Mrs. Percy: “he is a soldier, and it is his trade not to know fear.” “Show him a _certain_ danger,” cried Mr. Percy, looking up from a letter he was writing,--“show him a _certain_ danger, and he will feel fear as much as the greatest coward of you all. Ha! upon my word, it is an _ugly_ night,” continued he, going to the window. “Oh, my dear father!” cried Rosamond, “did you see that light--out at sea?--There! there!--to the left.” “To the east--I see it.” “Hark! did you hear?” “Minute guns!” said Caroline. There was a dead silence instantly.--Every body listened.--Guns were heard again.--The signal of some vessel in distress. The sound seemed near the shore.--Mr. Percy and Godfrey hastened immediately to the coast.--Their servants and some people from the neighbouring village, whom they summoned, quickly followed. They found that a vessel had struck upon a rock, and from the redoubled signals it appeared that the danger must be imminent. The boatmen, who were just wakened, were surly, and swore that they would not stir; that whoever she was, she might weather out the night, for that, till daybreak, they couldn’t get alongside of her. Godfrey instantly jumped into a boat, declaring he would go out directly at all hazards.--Mr. Percy with as much intrepidity, but, as became his age, with more prudence, provided whatever assistance was necessary from the villagers, who declared they would go any where with him; the boatmen, then ashamed, or afraid of losing the offered reward, pushed aside the _land lubbers_, and were ready to put out to sea.