Golly Coyle was the only granddaughter of a vague and somewhat simple clergyman who existed, with an aunt, solely for Golly's epistolary purposes.

There was, of course, intermediate ancestry,--notably a dead mother who was French, and therefore responsible for any later naughtiness in Golly,--but they have no purpose here.

They lived in the Isle of Man.

Golly knew a good deal of Man, for even at the age of twelve she was in love with John Gale--only son of Lord Gale, who was connected with the Tempests.

Gales, however, were frequent and remarkable along the coast, so that it was not singular that one day she found John "coming on" on a headland where she was sitting.