I have found it truly delightful to listen to such counsel, from one of his sex; for, in general, they do not treat me in so sincere and fatherly a manner." Mrs.Dutton's lip quivered, her eye-lids trembled too, and a couple of tears fell on her cheeks.
"It _is_ new to you, Mildred, to listen to the language of disinterested affection and wisdom from one of his years and sex.

I do not censure your listening with pleasure, but merely tell you to remember the proper reserve of your years and character.

Hist! there are the sounds of his barge's oars." Mildred listened, and the measured but sudden jerk of oars in the rullocks, ascended on the still night-air, as distinctly as they might have been heard in the boat.

At the next instant, an eight-oared barge moved swiftly out from under the cliff, and glided steadily on towards a ship, that had one lantern suspended from the end of her gaff, another in her mizzen-top, and the small night-flag of a rear-admiral, fluttering at her mizzen-royal-mast-head.

The cutter lay nearest to the landing, and, as the barge approached her, the ladies heard the loud hail of "boat-ahoy!" The answer was also audible; though given in the mild gentleman-like voice of Bluewater, himself.