The Worshipful Master.

"What an attempt , " she said , with a laugh ; " now , you could not pun on my name if you tried . " " What is it ? " ' ¦ ' Asollyn . They are both old Cornish name . " .. " " Who wonld assail ? Not Isurel "

yon , . y . ' ' You are really incorrigible . I shall begin to think , with Cowper , that he who would make a pun would pick a pocket . " The firing of a gun announced that tho Swallow ' s crew had won tho first prize for racing boats , and Diggory lost a pair of gloves to Miss Penhaligon . Lord Esme lost six .

It was a lovely warm day , and the wind had fallen so that the yachts were having a poor time of it outside , and it would probably be hours before they came in . The gentlemen all went ashore to become boys again for the nonce . On the town quay were sundry shows : tho living- skeleton and the fat woman , a child without arms or legs , an enormous rat said to have been taken out of a . London sewer , but really , if the truth must be told , nothing more nor less

than a wombat , an animal something between the rat and rabbit , and a native of Australia . Then there were Christy ' s , a very indifferent set , and a portable theatre ; not to mention the talking seal which didn't talk , and an exhibition of marionettes which was really very good . They went into everything . Fired off the guns and made the bell ring ; winning nuts for hitting the bull ' s eye ; and chaffed the man in charge of the walking skeleton , who , as soon as he had got them in the tent , was heard to go outside and announce that " five medical gentlemen from Bodmin had just gone inside , who vouched that it was the most startling exhibition in the world . "

then they went oft to the Guinevere again , and found their visitors in the ladies' cabin having a cup of afternoon tea . There was a piano there and harp , and Miss Penhaligon had been singing to them . She was not one of those young ladies who only care to show off before gentlemen , but was equally popular with her own sex , and only strove to make herself pleasant and agreeable to everybody . She played beautifullywas passionatelfond of musicandindeed

, y , , , composed herself . She would sit by the hour together playing to her father of an evening tender little bits like Mendelssohn ' s " Lieder Ohne Worte . " Sometimes she would chant lullabies , such as tender mothers would love to sing to their infants , and now and again , what would have been a grand . fugue upon an organ , would astonish her father and bring the tears into her mother ' s eyes as she played it .

The gentlemen preferred to smoke on deck for an hour in the cool of tho evening , and lazily watch the yachts with their white sails , like great wings , coming up the harbour ; but Lord Esme , who was himself a musician , hearing music down below , preferred to join the ladies .

Miss Penhaligon , at the earnest request of Miss Pentreath and Miss Rowatt , sat clown and gave them a little cradle song she had composed the day before . The words ran thus , and were supposed to be sung by a sailor ' s wife rocking her child to sleep : , Ah ! so wearily pass tie clays , Whilst father sails o ' er the sea ; Ah ! so drearily pass the nights :

When will he come hack to me ? Baby clear , we'll sing for him , Perhaps tho winds will hear , And carry our songs and evening' hymn To father , his life to cheer . Oh . ' God in heaven , keep him safe ,

And end onr care and ] 3 ain ;' So we may praise thee , babe and IOh ! bring him home again . 2 F 2