rugged cliff at the base of which rolled the ocean still the character of the simple inhabitants of the village was almost exclusively pastoral though a few scattered huts between it and the sea were evidently the of those whose � occupation was connected with the great deep the bias of public opinion was not very favorable to this portion of the community and if the fireside gossip of the village of had been worthy of belief strange tales might haye been told of on that fearful of scenes in which the perished or even the had not had fair play at the hands of their brethren on the coast but chiefly of exploits with all the successful and unsuccessful by which the iron hand of justice had been altogether that part of the country which lay between the village and the sea had acquired a character by no means attractive to the timid and the and scarcely in broad noon of summer would a delicate female have trusted herself alone upon that beach yet to this very spot it was that margaret al i bo first i n witli breathless i was regardless of the gathering gloom of advancing night of the dreary heights she had yet to cross of the perilous descent to the shore and of the dark hollows and deep which broke the majestic of the cliffs on all or any one of these margaret never once bestowed a thought her mind was set upon reaching a particular spot before the hour of six and though she had often in girlish traversed those wild paths in company with her brothers she knew too well the nature of that descent not to be aware that a single moment lost by the way might wholly defeat the object of her enterprise the wide ocean was now before her blue and and � revealing none of its dark secrets to her eager gaze there seemed to be a speck upon its bosom she held her breath for a moment it was a nearer object � there were two � two figures on the path before her could one of them be her brother she hastened on they were two amazed to see her there they have stopped and learned her strange errand but she passed them so rapidly that they were too much bewildered to speak arrived at last on the very edge of the t impressions margaret looked down at a fearful depth be low her was a boat upon the beach one man alone remained with it and he stretched his head as if watching impatiently for some one in the distance now was the difficulty of the path to be tried margaret began to descend it required all her natural and strength to make sure her footing and often was her own safety by the hurried glance she cast to the to see if other forms had yet appeared half way down she to take time to breathe again but no � they are coming � they are coming and he is with them p again she hastened on � there was a splash of the oars a suppressed greeting and robert had already set his foot upon the edge of the boat which had been pushed off among the � when a loud shriek from the cliff made all the party look and look again for the increasing darkness and the blackness of the damp rocks rendered it difficult to perceive any object distinctly at that distance that was my sister margaret s voice said robert if i know one sound from another and what if it was v said one of the sullenly those who with us must not be kept back by the scream of a silly girl g impressions i ll tell yon what said robert by this of margaret was never yet called a silly girl by those knew her and i won t stir an inch until t hare seen her safely at the bottom of that and her father and his pack of bounds along with him said another of the men in another moment margaret would hare been too late but now at the very point of time when the proud youth had been as he considered it insulted by his comrades his sister was by his side her arms around his neck her tears upon his cheek and her kind voice whispering such entreaties in his ear as none but a heart of could have resisted at the same time young who was one of the party in the boat used every species of that rude eloquence of which he was master and which consisted chiefly of vulgar sarcasm to his victim once more into bis toils indignant at this interference from such a quarter and at the unfair advantage thus taken of her brother s youth and temper margaret turned a fearless look of defiance toward men from whom almost any other woman would have shrunk appalled especially in such a place first i n � � off off said h� with your vile boat or you will repent of your delay repent of it shall we said young and the party joined in a chorus of laughter gladly would margaret now hare retreated for her courage was at last beginning to way but seeing that her brother still hesitated whether to accompany her or them she roused herself again in the hope of them to push off without him she had besides her watch and some money in reserve to offer as a bribe but her great spirit was not yet so fat subdued and she said again in a more voice than before � i know you james disguised as you are and i tell you if you do not push off this instant i will utter a shriek that will bring other eyes upon you besides mine this threat had its weight with 