warm opposition on his part. Still, with the squire and Aggie herself
on his side, he did not fear the result. As to James Walsham, whom he
had come home prepared to regard as a possible rival, from his early
intimacy with the child, and the fact that his mother was her
governess, he now regarded him with contempt, mingled with a revengeful
determination to pay off the old score, should a chance ever present
itself.

He therefore started next day in high spirits, assuming, however, a
great reluctance to tear himself away. A few days later a letter came
from him, saying that he hoped that he should be able to come back,
sometimes, for a day or two, as the Thetis was at present to be
attached to the Channel squadron, and it was not expected that she
would, for some time, proceed on foreign service.

Early in October, James Walsham was to go up to London, to commence his
medical course. A week before he was to start, Mr. Wilks went down in
the morning, intending to insist on his returning with him to the Hall.
As he went down towards Sidmouth, the old soldier noticed how strongly
the wind was blowing, the trees were swaying and thrashing in the wind,
the clouds were flying past overhead. Everything portended a severe
gale.

Finding, at Mrs. Walsham's, that James was down on the beach, he
continued his course until he joined him there. James was standing with
a group of fishermen, who were looking seaward. Now that he was exposed
to the full force of the wind, Mr. Wilks felt that, not only was it
going to blow a gale, but that it was blowing one already. The heavy
clouds on the horizon seemed to lie upon the water, the waves were
breaking with great force upon the beach, and the fishermen had hauled