'Mary,' I cried in fear, 'do ye no like me ?' 'O, Charlie man,' she said, 'is this a time to speak of it?
Let me be, a while; let me be the way I am; it'll not be you that loses by the waiting!' I made out by her voice that she was nearly weeping, and this put me out of any thought but to compose her.

'Mary Ellen,' I said, 'say no more; I did not come to trouble you: your way shall be mine, and your time too; and you have told me all I wanted.

Only just this one thing more: what ails you ?' She owned it was her father, but would enter into no particulars, only shook her head, and said he was not well and not like himself, and it was a great pity.

She knew nothing of the wreck.

'I havenae been near it,' said she.