Radcliffe, and Miss Burney, and
Monk Lewis, perhaps. As for Fielding and Smollet, they were well
enough in their place, which was not a young lady's library,
however. There were still more useful books, and I believe I read
everything in the ship, before the voyage ended. The leisure of a
sea-life, in a tranquil, well-ordered vessel, admits of much study;
and books ought to be a leading object in the fitting out that portion
of a vessel's equipment which relates chiefly to the welfare of her
officers and crew.
Time passed pleasantly enough, with a young fellow who had certainly
some reason to be satisfied with his own success thus far in life, and
who could relieve the tedium of ship's duty in such society. I cannot
say I was in love, though I often thought of Emily when she was not
before my eyes, and actually dreamt of her three times, in the first
fortnight after the re-capture of the ship. What was a little
remarkable, as I conceive, I often found myself drawing comparisons
between her and Lucy, though I hardly knew why, myself. The result was
very much after this sort;--Emily had vastly the advantage in all that
related to art, instruction, training--I am wrong, Mr. Harding had
given his daughter a store of precise, useful knowledge, that Emily
did not possess; and then I could not but see that Lucy's tact in
moral feeling, was much of the highest order of the two.
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