Clara Maynard | Page 4

out of his mouth without knowing
what he was saying," said Captain Maynard.
"I am not fond of joking," replied Miss Sarah; "but if you wish me to
go first, I shall be very glad to get on shore, I assure you."
"Pardon me, madam," said the lieutenant, looking very penitent, and
offering his hand. "I wouldn't say a word to ruffle your sensitive
feelings, I do assure you." Miss Pemberton, being appeased, gave her

hand to the lieutenant, and though she at first showed some signs of
trepidation, stepped without difficulty into the sternsheets of the boat.
She was followed by Mrs and Miss Sims.
"Come, young Lennard, you get into the bows, and help to trim the
boat," said Mr Sims; and shoving off, they pulled for the shore.
The boat soon reached the beach, when Mr Alfred, jumping out, wetted
his shoes, greatly to his annoyance, and went running off without
stopping to offer his assistance to the ladies. Some of the rest of the
party, however, came down to welcome them, and Mrs and Miss Sims,
being, accustomed to boating, having jumped out, the lieutenant was
able to aid Miss Pemberton in performing that, to her, hazardous
operation.
"Trust to me, my good lady," he said in an encouraging tone; "now step
on this thwart--now on the next--now on the gunwale."
"What's that?" asked Miss Pemberton.
"The side of the boat, I should have said," answered the lieutenant.
"Now spring with all the agility you possess." At which the lady gave a
bound which nearly overset the gallant officer, and would have ended
by bringing her down on the sand, had not General Caulfield caught her
in his arms.
"I hope you are not hurt, my dear madam!" he exclaimed.
"I have nearly dislocated my ankle, I believe," answered Miss
Pemberton. "It is the first time I have ventured on board a yacht, and I
intend that it shall be the last, with my own good pleasure."
On this the Reverend Mr Lerew stepped forward and expressed his
sympathy to Miss Pemberton, offering her his arm to conduct her up to
a rock under the cliff, where she could sit and rest her injured foot.
"I feel grieved for you, my dear madam, that what was intended to be a
party of pleasure should commence with so untoward an event," he said.

"Do allow my wife to examine your injured ankle--she is all tenderness
and sympathy, and a gentle rubbing may perhaps restore it to its
wonted elasticity."
"I hope that I shall recover after a little rest, without giving Mrs Lerew
the trouble," answered Miss Pemberton, touched with the interest
exhibited by the new vicar. "I am deeply grateful to you. But those
sea-officers, though well-intentioned, including my poor dear
brother-in-law, are dreadfully rough and unmannerly, and have not
ceased to alarm and annoy me since I got on board that horrible little
vessel, misnamed a pleasure yacht."
"True charity would make me wish to gloss over their faults--though I
must confess I agree with you, my dear lady; but we must consider it
the result of their early education, or rather, want of education,"
observed Mr Lerew, in a soft voice; "I fear, too, that their religious
training is as defective as their manners--we must, however, use our
best endeavours to correct the former, though it may be hopeless to
attempt an improvement in the latter--indeed, it is of so infinitely less
consequence, that provided we are successful in imparting the true faith,
we must rest satisfied."
"Oh, yes, I daresay I do," answered Miss Pemberton, who was thinking
more about her ankle than of what Mr Lerew was saying to her;
catching one of his words, she added, "but I don't accuse my
brother-in-law of being irreligious; I assure you, he reads prayers every
morning as the clock strikes half-past eight, and every evening at ten,
with a chapter from the Old and New Testaments, with Ryle's
expositions."
"Pray, what prayers does he use?" asked Mr Lerew, in a tone which
showed that he considered the matter of great importance.
"He generally uses Bickersteth's prayers," answered Miss Pemberton.
"Sad! sad!" exclaimed Mr Lerew, in a tone of horror, "thus to neglect
the Prayer-Book and submit to the teaching of men the most deadly
enemies of the catholic faith. Do let me entreat you to beg that he will

banish Ryle and Bickersteth from his library, or rather, commit them--I
should say their works--to the flames at once, lest they should fall into
the hands of other ignorant people."
"I never thought there was any harm in them," answered Miss
Pemberton, somewhat astonished at the vehemence with which the new
vicar condemned his two brother divines, whom she had hitherto
considered sound, trustworthy teachers. "I will mention