Next moment he had recognised his visitor.
"So you are come, Aunt. You have not honoured me before. Will you have some whisky?"
"Thank you, Elijah, thank you. I am dry with rowing. But how come you to be asleep at this time of day? Were you out after ducks last night?"
"No, I was not out, I lay abed. I went to bed early."
"Elijah, where is my son?"
He started, and looked at her suspiciously.
"How am I to know?"
"I cannot find him anywhere," said the mother. "I fear the boy has levanted. I may have been a little rough with him, but it was for his good. You cannot clean a deck with whiting, you must take holystone to the boards, and it is so with children. If you are not hard, you get off no edges; if you want to polish them, you must be gritty yourself. I doubt the boy is off."
"What makes you think so?"
"I have not seen him. Nobody at Mersea has seen him. Have you?"
"Not since last night."
"You saw him then?"
"Yes, he was on the beach going to Mehalah."
"Galiwanting!" exclaimed Mrs. De Witt. "Oh, what wickedness comes of galiwanting!" Then, recovering herself, " But how could he get there? His boat was left on the Hard!"
"I suppose he went by land. He said something to that effect. You see the tide would have been out if he purposed to stay some time."
"But what should make him go to the Ray? He had seen Mehalah on his boat."
"He said there had been a quarrel, and he was bent on making it up. Go and look for him on the Ray. If he is not back on your boat already, you will find him, or hear of him, there."
"Oh, the worries to parents that come of galiwanting!" moaned Mrs. De Witt, "none who have not experienced can tell. Do not stay me, Elijah. Dear sackalive; I must go home. I dare say the boy is now on the Pandora, trying to look innocent." She rubbed her hands, and her
