"I have," said she, one day, "just left a choice set of fellows upon the beach, as merry a set, Will, as I ever saw, and all rejoicing in your improvement. Luff holds your office until you join them again. They have had fine success lately, since young Barry is laid by the leg. I have brought you a box of raisins, and such a choice can of sweetmeats, as a present from the captain." "Ah! they are all good fellows, but I do not think that I shall ever join them again." "Pshaw, my lad! this is only a love-fit for the moment." (Margaret was absent upon an errand.) "If that girl does not know what it is to have a high-spirited young fellow like yourself for a lover, without making him a poor, tame, milk-and-water poodle, why then she ought to make herself always as scarce as she is at this moment. I have no patience with the girl--she does not know her own interest. I suppose she would have you stick to the plough's tail, or toil all day at the spade, and bring her home a hard-earned pittance at the week's-end. Pshaw! Will, you are formed for better things." "But she's a good girl, Moggy," said Will. "Oh, aye! the girl is well enough, and decent too. I don't mean to say she would not make a chap a good sort of wife either, but she's not the sort of girl for you, Will. She's no spirit about her. She don't see how a young fellow like you can do better by her, in a bold, dashing way, than by such tame, dull, plodding industry as her family use." "No; but then she wishes to see me happy, and I might be popped off the next skirmish." "You always look on the black side of things. Here are your fellows making their fortunes rapidly, and you talking of drudging on, in a quiet, stupid way, with the chance of being informed against and executed for your past doings. Young Barry won't easily forgive you." "Nor I him, either," was the significant reply, with a clenching of the fist and a grinding of the teeth, which proved how artfully the hag had worked upon Laud's worst feelings. Margaret, on her return, could perceive that her absence had been taken advantage of to effect a purpose adverse to all her hopes. Against all these disadvantages, however, Margaret combated with some success, and by degrees had the happiness of seeing her patient get the better of his sufferings. The wound would have healed sooner and better, had Laud's mind been kept free from feverish excitement. It did heal up, though not so well as Margaret wished--a frightful scar extended over the _os frontis_, directly to the high cheek-bone. For a long time the eye seemed as if it had perished, but as the fever abated its sight returned. It will be sufficient to record, that in due time Laud perfectly recovered, and the services of his nurses became no longer necessary.