Ravenshoe. By Henry Kingsley.

MARSTON'S DISAPPOINTMENT. 111
raging sea, and the tossing trees, and think how all the boats
were safe in, and the men sitting round the pleasant fires with
their wives and children, and that the dogs were warm in the
kennels, and the horses in the stable; and to pity the poor birds,
and hope they had good warm nooks and corners to get to; and
then to think of the ships coming up the channel, and hope they
might keep a good offing.
This brought her to thinking, for the first time, of her own little self, - how, so many years ago, she had been cast up like a
little piece of sea-wead out of that awful ocean. She thought of
the "Warren Hastings," and how she and Charles, on summerdays, when out gathering shells on the rocks, used to look over to
where the ship lay beneath the sea, and wonder whereabout it
was. Then she had a kindly smile on her face as she thought of
Mr. Archer, the brave and good (now I am happy to say Captain Archer), and looked over the hall to a hideous and diabolical
graven image, which he had sent the year before, among some
very valuable presents, and had begged her to be particularly
careful of, as he had risked his life in getting it; and which she
and Charles had triumphantly placed in the hall, and maintained
there, too, in spite of the sarcasms of Father Mackworth, and
the pious horror of the servants and villagers. And so she went
on thinking, - thinking of her dead parents, of the silence mailtained by her relations, of old Densil's protection, and then of the
future. That protection must cease soon, and then —
A governess! There were many stories about governesses not
being well treated. Perhaps it was their own fault, or they were
exceptional cases. She would like the nursery best, and to keep
away from the drawing-room altogether! "Yes," she said, "I
will make them love me; I will be so gentle, patient, and obliging. I am not afraid of the children, - I know I can win them,
- or of my mistress much; I believe I can win her. I am most
afraid of the superior servants; but, surely, kindness and submission will win them in time.
"My sheet-anchor is old Lady Ascot. She got very fond of
me during that six months I stayed with her; and she is very
kind. Surely she will get me a place where I shall be well
treated; and, if not, why then - I shall only be in the position
of thousands of other girls. I must fight through it. There is
another life after this.
"It will be terribly hard parting from all the old friends,
though! After that, I think I shall have no heart left to suffer
with. Yes; I suppose the last details of the break-up will be
harder to bear than anything which will follow. That will tear
one's heart terribly. That over, I suppose my salary will keep
me in drawing-materials, and give me the power, at every moment of leisure, of taking myself into fairyland.