There was also much more about his shipmates, with one or two of whom
Mr. Mohun had evidently made great friends. He told his sister a great
deal about them, and his conversations with them, whereas he had only
told Dolores abut one little midshipman getting into a scrape. Perhaps
nothing else was to be expected, but it made her feel the contrast
between being treated with real confidence and as a mere child, and it
seemed to put her father further away from her than ever.
Then came the conclusion, written on shore--
'Harry May came on board to take me home with him. He is a fine,
genial fellow and his welcome did one's heart good. I never did him
justice before; but I see his good sense and superiority called into
play out here. Depend upon it, there's nothing like going to the other
end of the world to teach the value of home ties.'
'Well done, Maurice,' exclaimed Lady Merrifield; but she glanced at
Dolores and checked herself.
Miss Mohun went on, 'Phyllis met me at the door of a pleasant, English-
looking house, with all her tribe about her. She has the true 'honest
Phyl' face still, carrying me back over some thirty or forty years of
life, and as you would imagine, she is a capital mother, with all her
flock well in hand, and making themselves thoroughly useful in the
scarcity of servants; though the other matters do not seem neglected.
The eldest can talk like a well informed girl, and shows reasonable
interest in things in general; but Phyllis wants to put finishing
touches to their education, and her husband talks of throwing up his
appointment before long, as he is anxious to go home while his father
lives.
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