'may i come in, goody?'

a sweet voice penetrated the dim recesses of the little thatched cottage which, with its weather-stained front, was the centre one of the half-circle of homely dwelling-places that huddled together looking out on the world of waters. sitting by the smoky fire, watching, as she knitted busily, the iron pot of potatoes boiling for her supper and that of her grandson ned, was goody dempster. her face, as she lifted it, was brown and wrinkled—indeed, it was not unlike in hue the kippered herrings hanging on a stick outside. but a pleased surprise sprang into her eyes as she recognised her visitor's voice.

'is that yourself, miss theedory? come along in, deary! you're always a sight for sore eyes, as ye know well. sit ye down on the little stool as ye've set on sin' ye were a tiny toddler. it's kep' dusted careful, case you should drop in; and nobody, not even ned, sits on miss theedory's stool.'

'i know that, goody dear. i shouldn't mind if they did; but you mean it for kindness to keep a stool specially for me. well, you see i've come again to have another talk with you about ned. indeed, i hoped to see himself, but he doesn't seem to be in the way.'

'no, miss theedory, he ain't. and reason why's this. he's bin out with the fletchers' boat all the day. there's a great take o' mackerrow expected shortly, and the fletchers they're on the look out; they're always that spry to the main-chance, as you know, deary. not as i'm one to blame they; people has got to be sharp in their bis'ness.'

'yes, of course,' assented theo absently. she was staring into the fire, wondering what tack would be best to take with ned, when she did get hold of the boy. 'have you been talking to ned, goody, as you promised you would?' she turned her head to ask presently.

'ay; i've talked a bit to he. but b'ys is a handful, miss theedory, as nobody should know better than yourself. now, my ned his heart's in the right place; it's his head as is the trouble. he has crammed hisself with trash of foring travel until the b'y is fair crazed to be off and out into the world. that's what it is!'

'i shouldn't call books of travels trash,' said theo slowly. 'it wouldn't be quite fair—nor true. but it's exactly the same at home with our boys, especially with alick. he reads exciting books of adventure constantly. of course i know some folk must go out into the world, and do all the wonderful things; everybody can't be stay-at-homes for life. but the worst thing about it is that alick won't wait his time. he wants to shirk his education and rush off, in his ignorance, to do things that it takes full-grown men, and well-instructed men, to even attempt. oh dear!'

'same wi' ned, set 'em both up!' angrily exclaimed goody, dropping the stocking she was knitting into her lap. 'and as for wanting to find the north pole, did anybody ever hear tell o' sich impident presumption! if the lord had meant as we should find the north pole, he'd ha' showed the way to it, straight as straight, and made it easy as easy. but seein' as time arter time men have giv' up their lives, bein' lost in the ice and snows, and still, to my thinking, if not to others, the north pole is shrouded from their reach, why, a body can see, plain as plain, that 'tain't meant as man should ever compass it. not that i can say as it's forbid special in the book; i won't say that, nohow. at least,' added goody cautiously, 'i've never come across it in my readin's.'

'oh, well,' said theo heavily, 'it would not really so very much signify what the boys' day-dreams of the future were, if they would only do their duty meantime. i was trying so hard last sunday, in the class, to make them all understand that god himself leads always, and that until he points the way we have no right to set out upon it. but it is questionable whether they took in my meaning.'

goody nodded. there was a little silence in the cottage. the potatoes bubbled gaily in the pot, and the clock in the corner ticked in measured dignity.

'there's one thing, deary, that i think you had ought to be telled.' goody broke the stillness, at last, with an effort. 'i've had it on my mind for some weeks back to let 'ee know; but somehow i dursn't. them b'ys is plannin' mischief. they've a notion to run away—to sea!'

the old woman spoke the last words in a whisper, though there was nobody to hear, save the sleepy old tortoiseshell cat by the fender, which opened one lazy eye, winked as if she, too, were in the secret, then, shutting it, purred off to sleep.

'run away!' theo's fresh face turned chalky pale, and her eyes widened into a terrified stare.

'true, deary, quite true! night arter night i could hear ned a-talkin' in his sleep in his little bed yonder, same's if somethin' was on his mind. so, at last, i got out o' my bed one night a-purpose to listen careful, and there, if ned wasn't ravin' away to hisself, in his sleep, and 'twas all about gettin' away up to the docks at lunnon, and hidin' in some ship bund for the north, him and muster alick. it giv' me a turn, as i see it's done the same to you this minnit, my dear. so i thought i'd best tell 'ee private, when i'd the chance; for nobody knows what a b'y won't dare to do. p'raps you could speak to the captain, and git him to make a stir. eh, deary?'

'father? oh, it would be no use. he wouldn't care, nor even listen. he's too busy with his stupid old writings to mind any of us, or what trouble we are in. it's too bad the way we are left to ourselves!' theo in her excitement lost her self-control, and spoke with a bitterness not belonging to her sweet nature. in truth, the girl was becoming a great deal harassed by the cares that were pressing upon her so heavily of late.

'deary!' a wrinkled brown finger was raised, and goody looked over her horn spectacles in grieved surprise. ''tain't for me to pint out to one so good and gentle as our miss theedory that one of the great god's commandments is to "honour thy father and thy mother"! ain't that so?'

'yes; but—but,' sobbed theo, who, tired out and ashamed of herself as well, suddenly broke down, as much to her own astonishment as to that of goody, 'that means a father and a mother who take a real interest in their children, who——'

'it don't say so special, if so be as it means that!' rejoined goody dryly. 'it don't mention any sort in pertikler. it just says "thy father an' thy mother"; and that's all you and i've got to do with it. let's look to our part, and perform it. but folks is always in such a hurry to settle other people's bis'ness that they lose sight of their own.'

'oh, goody, you're right! what a monster, what a bad girl you must think me!' theo sat up straight. 'i am ashamed of myself. to think i should grumble at my own father, my good father, who was such a brave sailor, as everybody knows, and who never has been unkind to one of us children in all our lives!'

'that's it, deary! that's it. 'tain't what your father isn't, but what he is, that you've got to look at, and to be grateful for. remember what i'm a-goin' to say, and don't 'ee take offence at an old body's words. we never, none of us, has but one father on earth, same's we've but one father in heaven, who commands us so special to honour our earthly parents. and another thing, deary; them things as seem mountains in your young eyes seems but trifles to the captain's eyes. if the time comes as there's real need for him to interfere, and bring about order in his own home, he will be safe to do it, never ye fear. the captain he was one of them as england expec's every man to do his dooty, and he did it in battle, so i've heard tell. and he will do it by you and the b'ys, don't 'ee fear!'

'i'm sure he will,' said theo humbly. she had come full of the spirit of putting everything and everybody to rights, and she told herself that her own pride and self-sufficiency had earned its well-merited fall. theo carnegy's heart was too gentle and single in thought to harbour arrogant pride. her quick repentance for the ill-advised words she had suffered to spring off her lips gave ample proof that it was so, and that in her the christian spirit reigned.

'here's ned a-comin'!' granny lifted her head sharply to listen to a prolonged, familiar whistle, and the cat, uncurling herself, rose up into an arch. there was a rush past the little window, and then ned bustled into the room, bringing with him a breath of strong sea air and also of the odours of the mackerel-boat.

'they've comed, granny! the mackerrow has comed into our bay, and we're goin' out agin—— evenin', miss! i—i didn't see you before.' ned's cap was off, and he stood, colouring up, before the young lady sitting on the stool and looking at him out of her clear, earnest eyes.

'ned,' said theo, somewhat gravely, 'i want a quiet talk with you, one of these days soon.'

'yes, miss.'

'not to-morrow,' went on theo. and ned gave a gasp of relief, unobserved by her. he was secretly thankful that miss theedory had not fixed on the morrow, seeing it was the day of the proposed bird-hunt in brattlesby woods. 'we are all going across to the vicarage to tea to-morrow,' continued the young lady; and ned's relief changed to dismay. 'by the way, ned, we shall be so glad to see you at the schoolroom tea at six o'clock. to-morrow will be mrs. vesey's birthday; and there's to be a little treat at the schoolhouse, as well as our tea at the vicarage. you'll come?'

ned fidgeted and turned all colours. he was a straightforward, honest boy, and his nature would have enjoined him to speak out and frankly say that his word had been already passed to go with jerry blunt to the woods on wednesday, but his tongue was tied for alick's sake. he could see that theo was ignorant of her brother alick's determination to carry out his rebellious mutiny. a fierce struggle raged in ned's mind. 'his honour rooted in dishonour stood.' should he be outspoken, or should he be faithful to his chum, master alick?

'better be true,' said the clear voice of conscience.

'no. better still stick to your friend through thick and thin,' contradicted a louder voice. how well the last specious suggestion sounded! so did the whispers of the serpent in eden in eve's ears.

'you will come to the tea-party, then?' said theo, rising from her stool to depart.

'thank ye, miss theedory; yes, i'll come,' was the mumbled reply; and in an agony of shame ned shambled out of the cottage, making believe to be busy over the tangled brown nets lying in front of the door.

he was a capable lad enough, was ned, and the fletchers looked upon him as a promising hand already in the boat. loving the sea passionately, he had been gay as a lark all day, watching keenly for the expected coming of the swarm of 'mackerrow.' but though the take had been abundantly successful, and the boat came home heavily laden; though the bay and the encircling cottages were bathed in the cheery red light of a gorgeous sunset, and supper-time was at hand, somehow the spring of happiness had died out of everything. ned hated deceit with the vigorous hatred of an outspoken, truthful nature. he wriggled mentally, full of guilty discomfort, as he watched theo's straight, slim figure rapidly stepping round to the bunk, and told himself ashamedly that he had wilfully deceived the 'young miss' who was always so kind, so civil-spoken, to himself.

'ned! ned, my lad!' called out goody's cracked voice from within. 'whatever's ado that 'ee don't come to supper? the taters is coolin'.'

'all right, granny! i be turnin' over the nets, that's all.'

goody's ears—her sharpest sense was hearing—detected the heaviness in ned's voice.

'what's come to 'ee, ned, so suddent?' she asked anxiously, as she heaped a plate with potatoes, and poured out a mug of butter-milk.

perhaps it was the smoking supper that proved too much for the hungry fisher-boy, or perhaps ned's conscience still troubled him, but the boy was unusually silent. goody, try as she might, could get nothing out of him.

'i'm off again, granny, soon's ever the moon's up,' ned at length broke silence to say, when his supper was finished.

'are ye, lad? well, good luck to 'ee! the wind's fair and the water calm.' goody stepped to the open door, and peered out at the darkening bay. 'ay! there's fletcher's folk makin' ready in the boat, ned.' she returned to the house-place, and reaching down the thick woollen muffler, stained with salt water, but a valued heirloom for its warmth, she handed it to the boy. 'see you don't forgit to put it round your throat,' she enjoined. 'neither don't 'ee forgit the bit o' a prayer, my boy, that i taught ye to say out on the deep by night. folks is apt to think as prayers belongs to a night spent in a comfortable bed ashore. but god listens as ready to bits of prayers that goes up to him in the black silence o' night, out on the waters, same's he listens to them as is put up in church o' sundays, with parson for mouthpiece. will 'ee remember, ned?'

'i'll remember, granny; i do always!' quietly replied ned, throwing the muffler across his shoulders. to do the boy justice, he always did remember the 'bit o' a prayer' goody had taught his father before him.

the fletchers, three generations of whom manned the fishing-trawler, were decent folk, with a keen eye to the main-chance, or what some people consider to be such—namely, making as much money as possible. the sky had clouded over somewhat, and it was darkish as the 'aurora'—known locally as the 'roarer'—the chief of the northbourne fishing-boats, put out for the night's work. ned, glancing at the bunk, could see the twinkling lights from its several windows reflected in the calm waters below. he wondered what muster alick was up to at that time of evening. 'he ain't learnin' of his lessons, that's sure,' thought ned, with an uneasy recollection of the story of the rebellious outbreak in the schoolroom; for alick had poured his indignant version of the same into the ears of his humble comrade. 'happen he've got hold of a fresh travel-book.' then ned's thoughts easily slipped off to the subject of other 'travel-books' devoured by alick and retailed to himself. he pictured vividly, as the 'roarer' swished through the dark waters, a far different scene to that of the quiet northbourne bay. a scene made up of dangers by land and dangers by sea; of wide, lonely floes of ice, their white gleam darkening into the gloom of the mysterious distance as yet untrodden by human feet. ned's pulses never failed to beat like hammers when such thought-pictures dangled themselves before his mind's vision. he forgot in the entrancing dream the outbreak at the bunk; forgot the holiday to be stolen on the morrow in brattlesby woods, and the deception practised on miss theedory; forgot, for the first time, the 'bit o' a prayer' taught him by faithful old goody to say when his nights were passed on the deep.