“Well-born ladies, you would say.  And why do you imagine the young man to be so much our inferior?”

Wilder thought there was a melody in the intonations of the youthful voice of the maiden, which in some measure excused the personality, as she answered.

“I am certainly not so fastidious in my notions of birth and station as aunt de Lacey,” she said, laughing; “but I should forget some of your own instructions, dear Mrs Wyllys, did I not feel that education and manners make a sensible difference in the opinions and characters of all us poor mortals.”

“Very true, my child.  But I confess I saw or heard nothing that induces me to believe the young man, of whom we are speaking, either uneducated or vulgar.  On the contrary, his language and pronunciation were those of a gentleman, and his air was quite suited to his utterance.  He had the frank and simple manner of his profession; but you are not now to learn that youths of the first families in the provinces, or even in the kingdom, are often placed in the service of the marine.”

“But they are officers, dear Madam:  this—­this individual wore the dress of a common mariner.”

“Not altogether.  It was finer in its quality, and more tasteful in its fashion, than is customary.  I have known Admirals do the same in their moments of relaxation.  Sailors of condition often love to carry about them the testimonials of their profession, without any of the trappings of their rank.”

“You then think he was an officer—­perhaps in the King’s service?”

“He might well have been so, though the fact, that there is no cruiser in the port, would seem to contradict it.  But it was not so trifling a circumstance that awakened the unaccountable interest that I feel.  Gertrude, my love, it was my fortune to have been much with seamen in early life.  I seldom see one of that age, and of that spirited and manly mien, without feeling emotion.  But I tire you; let us talk of other things.”

“Not in the least, dear Madam,” Gertrude hurriedly interrupted.  “Since you think the stranger a gentleman, there can be no harm—­that is, it is not quite so improper, I believe—­to speak of him.  Can there then be the danger he would make us think in trusting ourselves in a ship of which we have so good a report?”

“There was a strange, I had almost said wild, admixture of irony and concern in his manner, that is inexplicable!  He certainly uttered nonsense part of the time:  but, then, he did not appear to do it without a serious object.  Gertrude, you are not as familiar with nautical expressions as myself:  and perhaps you are ignorant that your good aunt, in her admiration of a profession that she has certainly a right to love, sometimes makes”——­

“I know it—­I know it; at least I often think so,” the other interrupted, in a manner which plainly manifested that she found no pleasure in dwelling on the disagreeable subject.  “It was exceedingly presuming Madam, in a stranger, however, to amuse himself, if he did it, with so amiable and so trivial a weakness, if indeed weakness it be.”