Susan and I sat anxiously waiting Harry’s return. I forgot to say that I had been hoping, day after day, to hear from Jerry, and had written telling him of Harry’s gallantry, and that he and I were at home again. I had, however, received no answer. Harry had been absent fully three hours. I saw, as soon as he appeared, that all had not gone well. He threw himself into a chair. Susan waited for him to speak. At last she said, in her gentle way—
“I am afraid, dear Harry, that the captain does not see things in the light you expected.”
“No, mother, he does not,” he answered. “He spoke as if he wished to be as kind as possible, but what he said went to my heart.
“‘I have regarded you with sincere affection, having known you from your childhood, and as the friend of my son,’ he began; ‘but I did not expect that you would have thus returned any service I may have rendered you. I have been wrong, I confess, to permit the intimacy which has existed between you and all the members of my family; but I tell you at once that I have an insuperable objection to any one of my daughters marrying a man whose family is unknown to me. For yourself I shall always entertain the truest regard, and I must beg you to receive this answer as final. Though Mrs Leslie and I shall regret the loss of your society, you will see that, under the circumstances, it is better that you should not again come to my house.’”
“I tried to argue the point, and spoke to the captain as you advised, father; but all I said had no effect, and showed me he had made up his mind how to act. He would not even allow me to see Fanny; and from being the happiest of human beings, I am now one of the most miserable.”
Susan and I did what we could to comfort Harry, though without much avail. I was therefore thankful when the next day a letter from the Admiralty came appointing him as third lieutenant to the Vestal, and directing him to join at once. Reginald came down immediately afterwards, as he had also been ordered to join his ship; and he proposed that they should go over to Portsmouth that afternoon. Harry agreed; and though Susan and I were sorry to lose him so suddenly, we saw that it was the best thing he could do.
A week afterwards the Vestal sailed down Channel, and, judging by Harry’s last letter, I hoped that he had somewhat regained his spirits.