Be that as
it may, it is certain that he prevailed on her, some time after
their marriage, to make him a present of a fine schooner yacht,
which was brought round from Cowes to our coast-town, and kept
always waiting ready for him in the harbor.
His wife required some little persuasion before she could make up
her mind to let him have the vessel. She suffered so much from
sea-sickness that pleasure-sailing was out of the question for
her; and, being very fond of her husband, she was naturally
unwilling that he should engage in an amusement which took him
away from her. However, Mr. James Smith used his influence over
her cleverly, promising that he would never go away without first
asking her leave, and engaging that his terms of absence at sea
should never last for more
than a week or ten days at a time. Accordingly, my mistress, who
was the kindest and most unselfish woman in the world, put her
own feelings aside, and made her husband happy in the possession
of a vessel of his own.
While my master was away cruising, my mistress had a dull time of
it at the Hall. The few gentlefolks there were in our part of the
county lived at a distance, and could only come to Darrock when
they were asked to stay there for some days together. As for the
village near us, there was but one person living in it whom my
mistress could think of asking to the Hall, and that person was
the clergyman who did duty at the church.
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