64 STUDIES OF NATUEE 



nected with meteorological opinion, and so he 

 answered with a long look at the sea, ' Well, she 

 may come.' And then, with an equally long 

 look at the sky, ' Or she may no come the day 

 at all. It's no just easy to tell ; and there's a 

 deal o' wind outside a deal o' wind.' 



Some of us having made up our minds to 

 go, whatever the weather might be, the usually 

 quiet hours after breakfast were much disturbed 

 by impatient speculations and a continual 

 hurrying to and fro with inquiries about the 

 promised steamer. At length we espied her 

 coming round the corner, beating hard against 

 the wind, and much behind her time. We 

 noticed that she could not come straight into 

 Corrie, as is usual, but that she had to fetch a 

 long sweep round in order to get anywhere near. 

 The faint hearts lingered on the shore, so we 

 gave them a melodramatic good-bye, and put off 

 in the rolling ferry. It was a dangerous little 

 journey, and nearly ended in disaster. There 



