I cried out, ‘Will, Will, is that you, Will?’ and threw up my veil. He heard me and looked over, and after staring an instant full of wonder, he violently clapped his hands with boyish joy, and shouted down: ‘Why, Marian, is that you? Have you come off to meet me? How kind of you! How’s mother? How’s father?’ ‘They are well, Will; they are very well. How brown you are! You are as broad and tall again as you were.’ ‘You look very white down there, Marian. Come on board and give me all the news.’ ‘No, I cannot come on board. I shall be seeing you very soon.’ ‘How is Captain Butler? Are you married yet, Marian? Oh, there’s a lot for me to hear! I haven’t had a syllable of home news since we left Sydney. We’ve made a ripping passage home--seventy-eight days from Sydney Heads to Soundings.’ ‘When shall I see you, dear?’ ‘The moment the ship’s in dock I’ll go home. Father can’t have heard that the ship’s in the river, or he or mother would be here to meet me, wouldn’t they? If you’re going straight ashore, Marian, and ’ll be seeing them soon, tell ’em I shall be home this afternoon, and ’ll be glad of a good blow-out--roast beef to be the main thing; I don’t care what they surround it with. I’m stiff with the brine of the harness cask. Is Captain Butler in England?’ ‘You shall have all the news when I see you at my house, Will. You are busy now. We’ll meet to-morrow, Will.’ ‘To-night, to-night, Marian! I have a hundred fine yarns to spin you.’ ‘Thank God you are safely returned,’ said I, and kissing my hand to him, I sank into my seat, and the boatman plied his oars. ‘Fine young gent, that,’ said the boatman, ‘but a first voyager, I lay. Them young gents is all for eating after the first voyage; after the second they’s all for drinking. And who’s a-going to blame ’em?’ said he, smacking his lips. ‘Didn’t Noah himself take to drink after a few weeks of the Ark--and yon’s a nine months’ job.’ I paid the man, landed, walked till I came to a coach and drove to Stepney. I remained alone and at home for the remainder of the day. My heart ached, and sometimes I wept; yet I was thankful to have seen Tom, thankful to know he was sure now that I was faithful to him, thankful for all that had passed between us, few as our words had been. In the evening I received a note from my aunt telling me that Will was returned, and begging me to come to supper. I sent word by the messenger that I was low and poorly, and hoped to see Will at my house very soon. CHAPTER XII SHE RAMBLES WITH HER COUSIN