The voyage might last three
years; and I should be legally a man, my own master, and Lucy a young
woman of near nineteen, by that time. Terrible ages in perspective
were these, and which seemed to us pregnant with as many changes as
the life of a man.
"Rupert will be admitted to the bar, when I get back," I casually
remarked, as we talked the matter over.
"He will, indeed," the dear girl answered. "Now you _are_ to go,
Miles, I almost regret my brother is not to be in the ship; you have
known each other so long, love each other so much, and have already
gone through such frightful trials in company."
"Oh! I shall do well enough--there'll be Neb; and as for Rupert, I
think he will be better satisfied ashore than at sea. Rupert is a sort
of a natural lawyer."
By this I merely meant he was good at a subterfuge, and could tell his
own story.
"Yes, but Neb is not Rupert, Miles," Lucy answered, quick as thought,
and, I fancied, a little reproachfully.
"Very true--no doubt I shall miss your brother, and that, too, very
much, at times; but all I meant in speaking of Neb was, as you know,
that he and I like each other, too, and have been through just the
same trials together, you understand, and have known each other as
long as I can remember."
Lucy was silent, and I felt embarrassed, and a little at a loss what
to say next.
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