IN A STEAMER CHAIR

AND

_OTHER SHIPBOARD STORIES_

BY ROBERT BARR (LUKE SHARP)

[Illustration: He played one game. ] A PRELIMINARY WORD. 

As the incidents related herein took place during voyages betweenEngland and America, I dedicate this book to the Vagabond Club ofLondon, and the Witenagemote Club of Detroit, in the hope that, if anyone charges me with telling a previously told tale, the fifty members ofeach club will rise as one man and testify that they were called upon toendure the story in question from my own lips prior to the allegedoriginal appearance of the same. 

R. B. 

CONTENTS

IN A STEAMER CHAIR

MRS TREMAIN

SHARE AND SHARE ALIKE

AN INTERNATIONAL BOW

A LADIES' MAN

A SOCIETY FOR THE REFORMATION OF POKER PLAYERS

THE MAN WHO WAS NOT ON THE PASSENGER LIST

THE TERRIBLE EXPERIENCE OF PLODKINS

A CASE OF FEVER

HOW THE CAPTAIN GOT HIS STEAMER OUT

MY STOWAWAY

THE PURSER'S STORY

MISS MCMILLAN

IN A STEAMER CHAIR

THE FIRST DAY. 

Mr. George Morris stood with his arms folded on the bulwarks of thesteamship _City of Buffalo_, and gazed down into the water. All aroundhim was the bustle and hurry of passengers embarking, with friendsbidding good-bye. Among the throng, here and there, the hardworking menof the steamer were getting things in order for the coming voyage. Trunks were piled up in great heaps ready to be lowered into the hold;portmanteaux, satchels, and hand-bags, with tags tied to them, wereplaced in a row waiting to be claimed by the passengers, or taken downinto the state-rooms. To all this bustle and confusion George Morrispaid no heed. He was thinking deeply, and his thoughts did not seem tobe very pleasant. There was nobody to see him off, and he had evidentlyvery little interest in either those who were going or those who werestaying behind. Other passengers who had no friends to bid them farewellappeared to take a lively interest in watching the hurry and scurry, andin picking out the voyagers from those who came merely to say good-bye. 

At last the rapid ringing of a bell warned all lingerers that the timefor the final parting had come. There were final hand-shakings, manyembraces, and not a few tears, while men in uniform with stentorianvoices cried, "All ashore. " The second clanging of the bell, and thepreparations for pulling up the gang-planks hurried the laggards to thepier. After the third ringing the gang-plank was hauled away, theinevitable last man sprang to the wharf, the equally inevitable lastpassenger, who had just dashed up in a cab, flung his valises to thesteward, was helped on board the ship, and then began the low pulsatingstroke, like the beating of a heart, that would not cease until thevessel had sighted land on the other side. George Morris's eyes werefixed on the water, yet apparently he was not looking at it, for when itbegan to spin away from the sides of the ship he took no notice, butstill gazed at the mass of seething foam that the steamer threw off fromher as she moved through the bay. It was evident that the sights of NewYork harbour were very familiar to the young man, for he paid noattention to them, and the vessel was beyond Sandy Hook before hechanged his position. It is doubtful if he would have changed it then, had not a steward touched him on the elbow, and said--

"Any letters, sir?"

"Any what?" cried Morris, suddenly waking up from his reverie. 

"Any letters, sir, to go ashore with the pilot?"

"Oh, letters. No, no, I haven't any. You have a regular post-office onboard, have you? Mail leaves every day?"

"No, sir, " replied the steward with a smile, "not _every_ day, sir. Wesend letters ashore for passengers when the pilot leaves the ship. Thenext mail, sir, will leave at Queenstown. "

The steward seemed uncertain as to whether the passenger was trying tojoke with him or was really ignorant of the ways of steamships. However, his tone was very deferential and explanatory, not knowing but that thisparticular passenger might come to his lot at the table, and stewardstake very good care to offend nobody. Future fees must not bejeopardized. 

Being aroused, Mr. Morris now took a look around him. It seemedwonderful how soon order had been restored from the chaos of thestarting. The trunks had disappeared down the hold; the portmanteauxwere nowhere to be seen. Most of the passengers apparently were in theirstate-rooms exploring their new quarters, getting out their wraps, Tam-o-Shanters, fore-and-aft caps, steamer chairs, rugs, and copies ofpaper-covered novels. The deck was almost deserted, yet here and there asteamer chair had already been placed, and one or two were occupied. Thevoyage had commenced. The engine had settled down to its regular lowthud, thud; the vessel's head rose gracefully with the long swell of theocean, and, to make everything complete, several passengers already feltthat inward qualm--the accompaniment of so many ocean voyages. 

George Morris yawned, and seemed the very picture of _ennui_. He put hishands deeply into his coat pockets, and sauntered across the deck. Thenhe took a stroll up the one side and down the other. As he lounged alongit was very evident that he was tired of the voyage, even before itbegan. Judging from his listless manner nothing on earth could arousethe interest of the young man. The gong sounded faintly in the innerdepths of the ship somewhere announcing dinner. Then, as the stewardappeared up the companion way, the sonorous whang, whang became louder, and the hatless official, with the gong in hand, beat that instrumentseveral final strokes, after which he disappeared into the regionsbelow. 

"I may as well go down, " said Morris to himself, "and see where theyhave placed me at table. But I haven't much interest in dinner. "

As he walked to the companion-way an elderly gentleman and a young ladyappeared at the opposite door, ready to descend the stairs. Neither ofthem saw the young man. But if they had, one of them at least would havedoubted the young man's sanity. He stared at the couple for a momentwith a look of grotesque horror on his face that was absolutely comical. Then he turned, and ran the length of the deck, with a speed unconsciousof all obstacles. 

"Say, " he cried to the captain, "I want to go ashore. I _must_ goashore. I want to go ashore with the pilot. "

The captain smiled, and said, "I shall be very happy to put you ashore, sir, but it will have to be atQueenstown. The pilot has gone. "

"Why, it was only a moment ago that the steward asked me if I had anyletters to post. Surely he cannot have gone yet?"

"It is longer than that, I am afraid, " said the captain. "The pilot leftthe ship half an hour ago. "

"Is there no way I can get ashore? I don't mind what I pay for it. "

"Unless we break a shaft and have to turn back there is no way that Iknow of. I am afraid you will have to make the best of it until we reachQueenstown. "

"Can't you signal a boat and let me get off on her?"

"Well, I suppose we could. It is a very unusual thing to do. But thatwould delay us for some time, and unless the business is of the utmostnecessity, I would not feel justified in delaying the steamer, or inother words delaying several hundred passengers for the convenience ofone. If you tell me what the trouble is I shall tell you at once whetherI can promise to signal a boat if I get the opportunity of doing so. "

Morris thought for a moment. It would sound very absurd to the captainfor him to say that there was a passenger on the ship whom he desiredvery much not to meet, and yet, after all, that was what made thethought of the voyage so distasteful to him. 

He merely said, "Thank you, " and turned away, muttering to himselfsomething in condemnation of his luck in general. As he walked slowlydown the deck up which he had rushed with such headlong speed a fewmoments before, he noticed a lady trying to set together her steamerchair, which had seemingly given way--a habit of steamer chairs. 

She looked up appealing at Mr. Morris, but that gentleman was toopreoccupied with his own situation to be gallant. As he passed her, thelady said--

"Would you be kind enough to see if you can put my steamer chairtogether?"

Mr. Morris looked astonished at this very simple request. He hadresolved to make this particular voyage without becoming acquainted withanybody, more especially a lady. 

"Madam, " he said, "I shall be pleased to call to your assistance thedeck steward if you wish. "

"If I had wished that, " replied the lady, with some asperity, "I wouldhave asked you to do so. As it is, I asked you to fix it yourself. "

"I do not understand you, " said Mr. Morris, with some haughtiness. "I donot see that it matters who mends the steamer chair so long as thesteamer chair is mended. I am not a deck steward. " Then, thinking he hadspoken rather harshly, he added, "I am not a deck steward, and don'tunderstand the construction of steamer chairs as well as they do, yousee. "

The lady rose. There was a certain amount of indignation in her voice asshe said--

"Then pray allow me to present you with this steamer chair. "

"I--I--really, madam, I do not understand you, " stammered the young man, astonished at the turn the unsought conversation had taken. 

"I think, " replied the lady, "that what I said was plain enough. I begyou to accept this steamer chair as your own. It is of no further use tome. "

Saying this, the young woman, with some dignity, turned her back uponhim, and disappeared down the companion-way, leaving Morris in a stateof utter bewilderment as he looked down at the broken steamer chair, wondering if the lady was insane. All at once he noticed a rent in histrousers, between the knee and the instep. 

"Good heavens, how have I done this? My best pair of trousers, too. Gracious!" he cried, as a bewildered look stole over his face, "it isn'tpossible that in racing up this deck I ran against this steamer chairand knocked it to flinders, and possibly upset the lady at the sametime? By George! that's just what the trouble is. "

Looking at the back of the flimsy chair he noticed a tag tied to it, andon the tag he saw the name, "Miss Katherine Earle, New York. " Passing tothe other side he called the deck steward. 

"Steward, " he said, "there is a chair somewhere among your pile with thename 'Geo. Morris' on it. Will you get it for me?"

"Certainly, sir, " answered the steward, and very shortly the othersteamer chair, which, by the way, was a much more elegant, expensive, and stable affair than the one that belonged to Miss Katherine Earle, was brought to him. Then he untied the tag from his own chair and tiedit to the flimsy structure that had just been offered to him; next heuntied the tag from the lady's chair and put it on his own. 

"Now, steward, " he said, "do you know the lady who sat in this chair?"

"No, sir, " said the steward, "I do not. You see, we are only a few hoursout, sir. "

"Very well, you will have no trouble finding her. When she comes on deckagain, please tell her that this chair is hers, with the apologies ofthe gentleman who broke her own, and see if you can mend this otherchair for me. "

"Oh yes, " said the steward, "there will be no trouble about that. Theyare rather rickety things at best, sir. "

"Very well, if you do this for me nicely you will not be a financialsufferer. "

"Thank you, sir. The dinner gong rang some time ago, sir. "

"Yes, I heard it, " answered Morris. 

Placing his hands behind him he walked up and down the deck, keeping ananxious eye now and then on the companion way. Finally, the young ladywhom he had seen going down with the elderly gentleman appeared alone ondeck. Then Morris acted very strangely. With the stealthy demeanour ofan Indian avoiding his deadly enemy, he slunk behind the differentstructures on the deck until he reached the other door of thecompanion-way, and then, with a sigh of relief, ran down the steps. There were still quite a number of people in the saloon, and seated atthe side of one of the smaller tables he noticed the lady whose name heimagined was Miss Katherine Earle. 

"My name is Morris, " said that gentleman to the head steward. "Wherehave you placed me?"

The steward took him down the long table, looking at the cards besidethe row of plates. 

"Here you are, sir, " said the steward. "We are rather crowded thisvoyage, sir. "

Morris did not answer him, for opposite he noticed the old gentleman, who had been the companion of the young lady, lingering over his wine. 

"Isn't there any other place vacant? At one of the smaller tables, forinstance? I don't like to sit at the long table, " said Morris, placinghis finger and thumb significantly in his waistcoat pocket. 

"I think that can be arranged, sir, " answered the steward, with a smile. 

"Is there a place vacant at the table where that young lady is sittingalone?" said Morris, nodding in the direction. 

"Well, sir, all the places are taken there; but the gentleman who hasbeen placed at the head of the table has not come down, sir, and if youlike I will change his card for yours at the long table. "

"I wish you would. "

So with that he took his place at the head of the small table, and hadthe indignant young lady at his right hand. 

"There ought to be a master of ceremonies, " began Morris with somehesitation, "to introduce people to each other on board a steamship. Asit is, however, people have to get acquainted as best they may. My nameis Morris, and, unless I am mistaken, you are Miss Katherine Earle. Am Iright?"

"You are right about my name, " answered the young lady, "I presume youought to be about your own. "

"Oh, I can prove that, " said Morris, with a smile. "I have letters toshow, and cards and things like that. "

Then he seemed to catch his breath as he remembered there was also ayoung woman on board who could vouch that his name was George Morris. This took him aback for a moment, and he was silent. Miss Earle made noreply to his offer of identification. 

"Miss Earle, " he said hesitatingly at last, "I wish you would permit meto apologise to you if I am as culpable as I imagine. _Did_ I runagainst your chair and break it?"

"Do you mean to say, " replied the young lady, looking at him steadily, "that you do not _know_ whether you did or not?"

"Well, it's a pretty hard thing to ask a person to believe, and yet Iassure you that is the fact. I have only the dimmest remembrance of thedisaster, as of something I might have done in a dream. To tell you thetruth, I did not even suspect I had done so until I noticed I had torn aportion of my clothing by the collision. After you left, it just dawnedupon me that I was the one who smashed the chair. I therefore desire toapologise very humbly, and hope you will permit me to do so. "

"For what do you intend to apologise, Mr. Morris? For breaking thechair, or refusing to mend it when I asked you?"

"For both. I was really in a good deal of trouble just the moment beforeI ran against your chair, Miss Earle, and I hope you will excuse me onthe ground of temporary insanity. Why, you know, they even let offmurderers on that plea, so I hope to be forgiven for being careless inthe first place, and boorish in the second. "

"You are freely forgiven, Mr. Morris. In fact, now that I think morecalmly about the incident, it was really a very trivial affair to getangry over, and I must confess I was angry. "

"You were perfectly justified. "

"In getting angry, perhaps; but in showing my anger, no--as some onesays in a play. Meanwhile, we'll forget all about it, "

and with that the young lady rose, bidding her new acquaintance goodnight. 

George Morris found he had more appetite for dinner than he expected tohave. 

SECOND DAY. 

Mr. George Morris did not sleep well his first night on the _City ofBuffalo_. He dreamt that he was being chased around the deck by a coupleof young ladies, one a very pronounced blonde, and the other an equallypronounced brunette, and he suffered a great deal because of theuncertainty as to which of the two pursuers he desired the most toavoid. It seemed to him that at last he was cornered, and the fiendishyoung ladies began literally, as the slang phrase is, to mop the deckwith him. He felt himself being slowly pushed back and forward acrossthe deck, and he wondered how long he would last if this treatment werekept up. By and by he found himself lying still in his bunk, and theswish, swish above him of the men scrubbing the deck in the earlymorning showed him his dream had merged into reality. He remembered thenthat it was the custom of the smoking-room steward to bring a largesilver pot of fragrant coffee early every morning and place it on thetable of the smoking-room. Morris also recollected that on formervoyages that early morning coffee had always tasted particularly good. It was grateful and comforting, as the advertisement has it. Shortlyafter, Mr. Morris was on the wet deck, which the men were stillscrubbing with the slow, measured swish, swish of the brush he had heardearlier in the morning. No rain was falling, but everything had a rainylook. At first he could see only a short distance from the ship. Theclouds appeared to have come down on the water, where they hung, lowering. There was no evidence that such a thing as a sun existed. Thewaves rolled out of this watery mist with an oily look, and the air wasso damp and chilly that it made Morris shiver as he looked out on thedreary prospect. He thrust his hands deep into his coat pockets, whichseemed to be an indolent habit of his, and walked along the slipperydeck to search for the smoking-room. He was thinking of his curious andtroublesome dream, when around the corner came the brunette, wrapped ina long cloak that covered her from head to foot. The cloak had a coupleof side pockets set angleways in front, after the manner of the pocketsin ulsters. In these pockets Miss Earle's hands were placed, and shewalked the deck with a certain independent manner which Mr. Morrisremembered that he disliked. She seemed to be about to pass him withoutrecognition, when the young man took off his cap and said pleasantly, "Good morning, Miss Earle. You are a very early riser. "

"The habit of years, " answered that young lady, "is not broken by merelycoming on board ship. "

Mr. Morris changed step and walked beside her. 

"The habit of years?" he said. "Why, you speak as if you were an oldwoman. "

"I _am_ an old woman, " replied the girl, "in everything but oneparticular. "

"And that particular, " said her companion, "is the very important one, Iimagine, of years. "

"I don't know why that is so very important. "

"Oh, you will think so in after life, I assure you. I speak as a veteranmyself. "

The young lady gave him a quick side glance with her black eyes fromunder the hood that almost concealed her face. 

"You say you are a veteran, " she answered, "but you don't think so. Itwould offend you very deeply to be called old. "

"Oh, I don't know about that. I think such a remark is offensive onlywhen there is truth in it. A young fellow slaps his companion on theshoulder and calls him 'old man. ' The grey-haired veteran alwaysaddresses his elderly friend as 'my boy. '"

"Under which category do you think you come, then?"

"Well, I don't come under either exactly. I am sort of on the middleground. I sometimes feel very old. In fact, to confess to you, I neverfelt older in my life than I did yesterday. Today I am a great dealyounger. "

"Dear me, " replied the young lady, "I am sorry to hear that. "

"Sorry!" echoed her companion; "I don't see why you should be sorry. Itis said that every one rejoices in the misfortunes of others, but it israther unusual to hear them admit it. "

"It is because of my sympathy for others that I am sorry to hear you areyounger today than you were yesterday. If you take to running along thedeck today then the results will be disastrous and I think you owe it toyour fellow passengers to send the steward with his gong ahead of you soas to give people in steamer chairs warning. "

"Miss Earle, " said the young man, "I thought you had forgiven me foryesterday. I am sure I apologised very humbly, and am willing toapologise again to-day. "

"Did I forgive you? I had forgotten?"

"But you remembered the fault. I am afraid that is misplacedforgetfulness. The truth is, I imagine, you are very unforgiving. "

"My friends do not think so. "

"Then I suppose you rank me among your enemies?"

"You forget that I have known you for a day only. "

"That is true, chronologically speaking. But you must remember a day onshipboard is very much longer than a day on shore. In fact, I look onyou now as an old acquaintance, and I should be sorry to think youlooked on me as an enemy. "

"You are mistaken. I do not. I look on you now as you do on your ownage--sort of between the two. "

"And which way do you think I shall drift? Towards the enemy line, ortowards the line of friendship?"

"I am sure I cannot tell. "

"Well, Miss Earle, I am going to use my best endeavours to reach thefriendship line, which I shall make unless the current is too strong forme. I hope you are not so prejudiced against me that the pleasant effortwill be fruitless. "

"Oh, I am strictly neutral, " said the young lady. "Besides, it reallyamounts to nothing. Steamer friendships are the most evanescent thingson earth. "

"Not on earth, surely, Miss Earle. You must mean on sea. "

"Well, the earth includes the sea, you know. "

"Have you had experience with steamer friendships? I thought, somehow, this was your first voyage. "

"What made you think so?"

"Well, I don't know. I thought it was, that's all. "

"I hope there is nothing in my manner that would induce a stranger tothink I am a verdant traveller. "

"Oh, not at all. You know, a person somehow classifies a person'sfellow-passengers. Some appear to have been crossing the ocean all theirlives, whereas, in fact, they are probably on shipboard for the firsttime. Have you crossed the ocean before?"

"Yes. "

"Now, tell me whether you think I ever crossed before?"

"Why, of course you have. I should say that you cross probably once ayear. Maybe oftener. "

"Really? For business or pleasure?"

"Oh, business, entirely. You did not look yesterday as if you ever hadany pleasure in your life. "

"Oh, yesterday! Don't let us talk about yesterday. It's to-day now, you know. You seem to be a mind-reader. Perhaps you could tell myoccupation?"

"Certainly. Your occupation is doubtless that of a junior partner in aprosperous New York house. You go over to Europe every year--perhapstwice a year, to look after the interests of your business. "

"You think I am a sort of commercial traveller, then?"

"Well, practically, yes. The older members of the firm, I shouldimagine, are too comfortably situated, and care too little for thepleasures of foreign travel, to devote much of their time to it. So whatforeign travel there is to be done falls on the shoulders of the youngerpartner. Am I correct?"

"Well, I don't quite class myself as a commercial traveller, you know, but in the main you are--in fact, you are remarkably near right. I thinkyou must be something of a mind-reader, as I said before, Miss Earle, oris it possible that I carry my business so plainly in my demeanour asall that?"

Miss Earle laughed. It was a very bright, pleasant, cheerful laugh. 

"Still, I must correct you where you are wrong, for fear you becometoo conceited altogether about your powers of observation. I have notcrossed the ocean as often as you seem to think. In the future I shallperhaps do so frequently. I am the junior partner, as you say, buthave not been a partner long. In fact I am now on my first voyage inconnection with the new partnership. Now, Miss Earle, let me try a guessat your occupation. "

"You are quite at liberty to guess at it. "

"But will you tell me if I guess correctly?"

"Yes. I have no desire to conceal it. "

"Then, I should say off-hand that you are a teacher, and are now takinga vacation in Europe. Am I right?"

"Tell me first why you think so?"

"I am afraid to tell you. I do not want to drift towards the line ofenmity. "

"You need have no fear. I have every respect for a man who tells thetruth when he has to. "

"Well, I think a school teacher is very apt to get into a certaindictatorial habit of speech. School teachers are something like militarymen. They are accustomed to implicit obedience without question, andthis, I think, affects their manner with other people. "

"You think I am dictatorial, then?"

"Well, I shouldn't say that you were dictatorial exactly. But there is acertain confidence--I don't know just how to express it, but it seems tome, you know--well, I am going deeper and deeper into trouble by what Iam saying, so really I shall not say any more. I do not know just how toexpress it. "

"I think you express it very nicely. Go on, please. "

"Oh, you are laughing at me now. "

"Not at all, I assure you. You were trying to say that I was verydictatorial. "

"No, I was trying to say nothing of the kind. I was merely trying to saythat you have a certain confidence in yourself and a certain belief thateverything you say is perfectly correct, and is not to be questioned. Now, do as you promised, and tell me how near right I am. "

"You are entirely wrong. I never taught school. "

"Well, Miss Earle, I confessed to my occupation without citing anymitigating circumstances. So now, would you think me impertinent if Iasked you to be equally frank?"

"Oh, not at all! But I may say at once that I wouldn't answer you. "

"But you will tell me if I guess?"

"Yes, I promise that. "

"Well, I am certainly right in saying that you are crossing the oceanfor pleasure. "

"No, you are entirely wrong. I am crossing for business. "

"Then, perhaps you cross very often, too?"

"No; I crossed only once before, and that was coming the other way. "

"Really, this is very mysterious. When are you coming back?"

"I am not coming back. "

"Oh, well, " said Morris, "I give it up. I think I have scored theunusual triumph of managing to be wrong in everything that I have said. Have I not?"

"I think you have. "

"And you refuse to put me right?"

"Certainly. "

"I don't think you are quite fair, Miss Earle. "

"I don't think I ever claimed to be, Mr. Morris. But I am tired ofwalking now. You see, I have been walking the deck for considerablylonger than you have. I think I shall sit down for a while. "

"Let me take you to your chair. "

Miss Earle smiled. "It would be very little use, " she said. 

The deck steward was not to be seen, and Morris, diving into a dark andcluttered-up apartment, in which the chairs were piled, speedily pickedout his own, brought it to where the young lady was standing, spread itout in its proper position, and said--

"Now let me get you a rug or two. "

"You have made a mistake. That is not my chair. "

"Oh yes, it is. I looked at the tag. This is your name, is it not?"

"Yes, that is my name; but this is not my chair. "

"Well, I beg that you will use it until the owner calls for it. "

"But who is the owner? Is this your chair?"

"It was mine until after I smashed up yours. "

"Oh, but I cannot accept your chair, Mr. Morris. "

"You surely wouldn't refuse to do what you desired, in fact, commanded, another to do. You know you practically ordered me to take your chair. Well, I have accepted it. It is going to be put right to-day. So, yousee, you cannot refuse mine. "

Miss Earle looked at him for a moment. 

"This is hardly what I would call a fair exchange, " she said. "Mychair was really a very cheap and flimsy one. This chair is much moreexpensive. You see, I know the price of them. I think you are trying toarrange your revenge, Mr. Morris. I think you want to bring thingsabout so that I shall have to apologise to you in relation to thatchair-breaking incident. However, I see that this chair is verycomfortable, so I will take it. Wait a moment till I get my rugs. "

"No, no, " cried Morris, "tell me where you left them. I will get themfor you. "

"Thank you. I left them on the seat at the head of the companion-way. One is red, the other is more variegated; I cannot describe it, but theyare the only two rugs there, I think. "

A moment afterwards the young man appeared with the rugs on his arm, andarranged them around the young lady after the manner of deck stewardsand gallant young men who are in the habit of crossing the ocean. 

"Would you like to have a cup of coffee?"

"I would, if it can be had. "

"Well, I will let you into a shipboard secret. Every morning on thisvessel the smoking-room steward brings up a pot of very deliciouscoffee, which he leaves on the table of the smoking-room. He also bringsa few biscuits--not the biscuit of American fame, but the biscuit ofEnglish manufacture, the cracker, as we call it--and those who frequentthe smoking-room are in the habit sometimes of rising early, and, aftera walk on deck, pouring out a cup of coffee for themselves. "

"But I do not expert to be a _habitué_ of the smoking-room, " said MissEarle. "Nevertheless, you have a friend who will be, and so in thatway, you see, you will enjoy the advantages of belonging to the smokingclub. "

A few moments afterwards, Morris appeared with a camp-stool under hisarm, and two cups of coffee in his hands. Miss Earle noticed the smilesuddenly fade from his face, and a look of annoyance, even of terror, succeed it. His hands trembled, so that the coffee spilled from the cupinto the saucer. 

"Excuse my awkwardness, " he said huskily; then, handing her the cup, headded, "I shall have to go now. I will see you at breakfast-time. Goodmorning. " With the other cup still in his hand, he made his way to thestair. 

Miss Earle looked around and saw, coming up the deck, a very handsomeyoung lady with blonde hair. 

THIRD DAY. 

On the morning of the third day, Mr. George Morris woke up after a soundand dreamless sleep. He woke up feeling very dissatisfied with himself, indeed. He said he was a fool, which was probably true enough, but eventhe calling himself so did not seem to make matters any better. Hereviewed in his mind the events of the day before. He remembered hisvery pleasant walk and talk with Miss Earle. He knew the talk had beenrather purposeless, being merely that sort of preliminary conversationwhich two people who do not yet know each other indulge in, as aforerunner to future friendship. Then, he thought of his awkwardleave-taking of Miss Earle when he presented her with the cup of coffee, and for the first time he remembered with a pang that he had under hisarm a camp-stool. It must have been evident to Miss Earle that he hadintended to sit down and have a cup of coffee with her, and continue theacquaintance begun so auspiciously that morning. He wondered if she hadnoticed that his precipitate retreat had taken place the moment thereappeared on the deck a very handsome and stylishly dressed young lady. He began to fear that Miss Earle must have thought him suddenly takenwith insanity, or, worse still, sea-sickness. The more Morris thoughtabout the matter the more dissatisfied he was with himself and hisactions. At breakfast--he had arrived very late, almost as Miss Earlewas leaving--he felt he had preserved a glum, reticent demeanour, andthat he had the general manner of a fugitive anxious to escape justice. He wondered what Miss Earle must have thought of him after his eagerconversation of the morning. The rest of the day he had spent gloomilyin the smoking-room, and had not seen the young lady again. The morehe thought of the day the worse he felt about it. However, he wasphilosopher enough to know that all the thinking he could do would notchange a single item in the sum of the day's doing. So he slipped backthe curtain on its brass rod and looked out into his state-room. Thevalise which he had left carelessly on the floor the night before wasnow making an excursion backwards and forwards from the bunk to thesofa, and the books that had been piled up on the sofa were scatteredall over the room. It was evident that dressing was going to be anacrobatic performance. 

The deck, when he reached it, was wet, but not with the moisture of thescrubbing. The outlook was clear enough, but a strong head-wind wasblowing that whistled through the cordage of the vessel, and caused theblack smoke of the funnels to float back like huge sombre streamers. Theprow of the big ship rose now into the sky and then sank down into thebosom of the sea, and every time it descended a white cloud of spraydrenched everything forward and sent a drizzly salt rain along the wholelength of the steamer. 

"There will be no ladies on deck this morning, " said Morris to himself, as he held his cap on with both hands and looked around at thethreatening sky. At this moment one wave struck the steamer with morethan usual force and raised its crest amidship over the decks. Morrishad just time to escape into the companion-way when it fell with a crashon the deck, flooding the promenade, and then rushing out through thescuppers into the sea. 

"By George!" said Morris. "I guess there won't be many at breakfasteither, if this sort of thing keeps up. I think the other side of theship is the best. "

Coming out on the other side of the deck, he was astonished to see, sitting in her steamer chair, snugly wrapped up in her rugs, MissKatherine Earle, balancing a cup of steaming coffee in her hand. The steamer chair had been tightly tied to the brass stanchion, orhand-rail, that ran along the side of the housed-in portion of thecompanion-way, and although the steamer swayed to and fro, as well as upand down, the chair was immovable. An awning had been put up over theplace where the chair was fastened, and every now and then on thatdripping piece of canvas the salt rain fell, the result of the wavesthat dashed in on the other side of the steamer. 

"Good morning, Mr. Morris!" said the young lady, brightly. "I am veryglad you have come. I will let you into a shipboard secret. The stewardof the smoking-room brings up every morning a pot of very fragrantcoffee. Now, if you will speak to him, I am sure he will be very glad togive you a cup. "

"You do like to make fun of me, don't you?" answered the young man. 

"Oh, dear no, " said Miss Earle, "I shouldn't think of making fun ofanything so serious. Is it making fun of a person who looks half frozento offer him a cup of warm coffee? I think there is more philanthropythan fun about that. "

"Well, I don't know but you are right. At any rate, I prefer to take itas philanthropy rather than fun. I shall go and get a cup of coffee formyself, if you will permit me to place a chair beside yours?"

"Oh, I beg you not to go for the coffee yourself. You certainly willnever reach here with it. You see the remains of that cup down by theside of the vessel. The steward himself slipped and fell with that pieceof crockery in his hands. I am sure he hurt himself, although he said hedidn't. "

"Did you give him an extra fee on that account?" asked Morris, cynically. 

"Of course I did. I am like the Government in that respect. I take careof those who are injured in my service. "

"Perhaps, that's why he went down. They are a sly set, those stewards. He knew that a man would simply laugh at him, or perhaps utter somemaledictions if he were not feeling in very good humour. In all my oceanvoyages I have never had the good fortune to see a steward fall. Heknew, also, the rascal, that a lady would sympathise with him, and thathe wouldn't lose anything by it, except the cup, which is not his loss. "

"Oh yes, it is, " replied the young lady, "he tells me they charge allbreakages against him. "

"He didn't tell you what method they had of keeping track of thebreakages, did he? Suppose he told the chief steward that you broke thecup, which is likely he did. What then?"

"Oh, you are too cynical this morning, and it would serve you just rightif you go and get some coffee for yourself, and meet with the samedisaster that overtook the unfortunate steward. Only you are forewarnedthat you shall have neither sympathy nor fee. "

"Well, in that case, " said the young man, "I shall not take the risk. Ishall sacrifice the steward rather. Oh, here he is. I say, steward, willyou bring me a cup of coffee, please?"

"Yes, sir. Any biscuit, sir?"

"No, no biscuit. Just a cup of coffee and a couple of lumps of sugar, please; and if you can first get me a chair, and strap it to this rod inthe manner you do so well, I shall be very much obliged. "

"Yes, sir. I shall call the deck steward, sir. "

"Now, notice that. You see the rascals never interfere with each other. The deck steward wants a fee, and the smoking-room steward wants a fee, and each one attends strictly to his own business, and doesn't interferewith the possible fees of anybody else. "

"Well, " said Miss Earle, "is not that the correct way? If things are tobe well done, that is how they should be done. Now, just notice how muchmore artistically the deck steward arranged these rugs than you didyesterday morning. I think it is worth a good fee to be wrapped up socomfortably as that. "

"I guess I'll take lessons from the deck steward then, and even if I donot get a fee, I may perhaps get some gratitude at least. "

"Gratitude? Why, you should think it a privilege. "

"Well, Miss Earle, to tell the truth, I do. It is a privilege that--Ihope you will not think I am trying to flatter you when I say--any manmight be proud of. "

"Oh, dear, " replied the young lady, laughing, "I did not mean it in thatway at all. I meant that it was a privilege to be allowed to practise onthose particular rugs. Now, a man should remember that he undertakes avery great responsibility when he volunteers to place the rugs around alady on a steamer chair. He may make her look very neat and even prettyby a nice disposal of the rugs, or he may make her look like a horriblebundle. "

"Well, then, I think I was not such a failure after all yesterdaymorning, for you certainly looked very neat and pretty. "

"Then, if I did, Mr. Morris, do not flatter yourself it was at all onaccount of your disposal of the rugs, for the moment you had left a veryhandsome young lady came along, and, looking at me, said, with such apleasant smile, 'Why, what a pretty rug you have there; but how thesteward _has_ bungled it about you! Let me fix it, ' and with that shegave it a touch here and a smooth down there, and the result was reallyso nice that I hated to go down to breakfast. It is a pity you wentaway so quickly yesterday morning. You might have had an opportunity ofbecoming acquainted with the lady, who is, I think, the prettiest girlon board this ship. "

"Do you?" said Mr. Morris, shortly. 

"Yes, I do. Have you noticed her? She sits over there at the long tablenear the centre. You must have seen her; she is so very, very pretty, that you cannot help noticing her. "

"I am not looking after pretty women this voyage, " said Morris, savagely. 

"Oh, are you not? Well, I must thank you for that. That is evidently avery sincere compliment. No, I can't call it a compliment, but a sincereremark, I think the first sincere one you have made to-day. "

"Why, what do you mean?" said Morris, looking at her in a bewilderedsort of way. 

"You have been looking after me this morning, have you not, andyesterday morning? And taking ever so much pains to be helpful andentertaining, and now, all at once you say--Well, you know what yousaid just now. "

"Oh yes. Well, you see--"

"Oh, you can't get out of it, Mr. Morris. It was said, and with evidentsincerity. "

"Then you really think you are pretty?" said Mr. Morris, looking at hiscompanion, who flushed under the remark. 

"Ah, now, " she said, "you imagine you are carrying the war into theenemy's country. But I don't at all appreciate a remark like that. Idon't know but I dislike it even more than I do your compliments, whichis saying a good deal. "

"I assure you, " said Morris, stiffly, "that I have not intended topay any compliments. I am not a man who pays compliments. "

"Not even left-handed ones?"

"Not even any kind, that I know of. I try as a general thing to speakthe truth. "

"Ah, and shame your hearers?"

"Well, I don't care who I shame as long as I succeed in speaking thetruth. "

"Very well, then; tell me the truth. Have you noticed this handsomeyoung lady I speak of?"

"Yes, I have seen her. "

"Don't you think she is very pretty?"

"Yes, I think she is. "

"Don't you think she is the prettiest woman on the ship?"

"Yes, I think she is. "

"Are you afraid of pretty women?"

"No, I don't think I am. "

"Then, tell me why, the moment she appeared on the deck yesterdaymorning, you were so much agitated that you spilled most of my coffee inthe saucer?"

"Did I appear agitated?" asked Morris, with some hesitation. 

"Now, I consider that sort of thing worse than a direct prevarication. "

"What sort of thing?"

"Why, a disingenuous answer. You _know_ you appeared agitated. Youknow you _were_ agitated. You know you had a camp-stool, and that youintended to sit down here and drink your coffee. All at once you changedyour mind, and that change was coincident with the appearance on deck ofthe handsome young lady I speak of. I merely ask why?"

"Now, look here, Miss Earle, even the worst malefactor is not expectedto incriminate himself. I can refuse to answer, can I not?"

"Certainly you may. You may refuse to answer anything, if you like. It was only because you were boasting about speaking the truth thatI thought I should test your truth-telling qualities. I have beenexpecting every moment that you would say to me I was very impertinent, and that it was no business of mine, which would have been quite true. There, you see, you had a beautiful chance of speaking the truth whichyou let slip entirely unnoticed. But there is the breakfast gong. Now, Imust confess to being very hungry indeed. I think I shall go down intothe saloon. "

"Please take my arm, Miss Earle, " said the young man. 

"Oh, not at all, " replied that young lady; "I want something infinitelymore stable. I shall work my way along this brass rod until I can makea bolt for the door. If you want to make yourself real useful, go andstand on the stairway, or the companion-way I think you call it, andif I come through the door with too great force you'll prevent me fromgoing down the stairs. "

"'Who ran to help me when I fell, '" quoted Mr. Morris, as he walkedalong ahead of her, having some difficulty in maintaining hisequilibrium. 

"I wouldn't mind the falling, " replied the young lady, "if you onlywould some pretty story tell; but you are very prosaic, Mr. Morris. Doyou ever read anything at all?"

"I never read when I have somebody more interesting than a book to talkto. "

"Oh, thank you. Now, if you will get into position on the stairway, Ishall make my attempts at getting to the door. "

"I feel like a base-ball catcher, " said Morris, taking up a positionsomewhat similar to that of the useful man behind the bat. 

Miss Earle, however, waited until the ship was on an even keel, thenwalked to the top of the companion-way, and, deftly catching up thetrain of her dress with as much composure as if she were in a ballroom, stepped lightly down the stairway. Looking smilingly over her shoulderat the astonished baseball catcher, she said--

"I wish you would not stand in that ridiculous attitude, but come andaccompany me to the breakfast table. As I told you, I am very hungry. "

The steamer gave a lurch that nearly precipitated Morris down thestairway, and the next moment he was by her side. 

"Are you fond of base-ball?" she said to him. 

"You should see me in the park when our side makes a home run. Do youlike the game?"

"I never saw a game in my life. "

"What! you an American girl, and never saw a game of base-ball? Why, Iam astonished. "

"I did not say that I was an American girl. "

"Oh, that's a fact. I took you for one, however. "

They were both of them so intent on their conversation in walking up thenarrow way between the long table and the short ones, that neither ofthem noticed the handsome blonde young lady standing beside her chairlooking at them. It was only when that young lady said, "Why, Mr. Morris, is this you?" and when that gentleman jumped as if a cannonhad been fired beside him, that either of them noticed their fairfellow-traveller. 

"Y--es, " stammered Morris, "it is!"

The young lady smiled sweetly and held out her hand, which Morris tookin an awkward way. 

"I was just going to ask you, " she said, "when you came aboard. Howridiculous that would have been. Of course, you have been here all thetime. Isn't it curious that we have not met each other?--we of allpersons in the world. "

Morris, who had somewhat recovered his breath, looked steadily at her asshe said this, and her eyes, after encountering his gaze for a moment, sank to the floor. 

Miss Earle, who had waited for a moment expecting that Morris wouldintroduce her, but seeing that he had for the time being apparentlyforgotten everything on earth, quietly left them, and took her placeat the breakfast table. The blonde young lady looked up again at Mr. Morris, and said--

"I am afraid I am keeping you from breakfast. "

"Oh, that doesn't matter. "

"I am afraid, then, " she continued sweetly, "that I am keeping you fromyour very interesting table companion. "

"Yes, that _does_ matter, " said Morris, looking at her. "I wish you goodmorning, madam. " And with that he left her and took his place at thehead of the small table. 

There was a vindictive look in the blonde young lady's pretty eyes asshe sank into her own seat at the breakfast table. 

Miss Earle had noticed the depressing effect which even the sight of theblonde lady exercised on Morris the day before, and she looked forward, therefore, to rather an uncompanionable breakfast. She was surprised, however, to see that Morris had an air of jaunty joviality, which shecould not help thinking was rather forced. 

"Now, " he said, as he sat down on the sofa at the head of the table, "Ithink it's about time for us to begin our chutney fight. "

"Our what?" asked the young lady, looking up at him with open eyes. 

"Is it possible, " he said, "that you have crossed the ocean and neverengaged in the chutney fight? I always have it on this line. "

"I am sorry to appear so ignorant, " said Miss Earle, "but I have toconfess I do not know what chutney is. "

"I am glad of that, " returned the young man. "It delights me to find inyour nature certain desert spots--certain irreclaimable lands, I mightsay--of ignorance. "

"I do not see why a person should rejoice in the misfortunes of anotherperson, " replied the young lady. 

"Oh, don't you? Why, it is the most natural thing in the world. Thereis nothing that we so thoroughly dislike as a person, either lady orgentleman, who is perfect. I suspect you rather have the advantage of mein the reading of books, but I certainly have the advantage of you onchutney, and I intend to make the most of it. "

"I am sure I shall be very glad to be enlightened, and to confess myignorance whenever it is necessary, and that, I fear, will be ratheroften. So, if our acquaintance continues until the end of the voyage, you will be in a state of perpetual delight. "

"Well, that's encouraging. You will be pleased to learn that chutney isa sauce, an Indian sauce, and on this line somehow or other they neverhave more than one or two bottles. I do not know whether it is veryexpensive. I presume it is. Perhaps it is because there is very littledemand for it, a great number of people not knowing what chutney is. "

"Thank you, " said the young lady, "I am glad to find that I am in themajority, at least, even in the matter of ignorance. "

"Well, as I was saying, chutney is rather a seductive sauce. You maynot like it at first, but it grows on you. You acquire, as it were, the chutney habit. An old Indian traveller, whom I had the pleasure ofcrossing with once, and who sat at the same table with me, demandedchutney. He initiated me into the mysteries of chutney, and he had achutney fight all the way across. "

"I still have to confess that I do not see what there is to fight aboutin the matter of chutney. "

"Don't you? Well, you shall soon have a practical illustration of theterrors of a chutney fight. Steward, " called Morris, "just bring me abottle of chutney, will you?"

"Chutney, air?" asked the steward, as if he had never heard the wordbefore. 

"Yes, chutney. Chutney sauce. "

"I am afraid, sir, " said the steward, "that we haven't any chutneysauce. "

"Oh yes, you have. I see a bottle there on the captain's table. I thinkthere is a second bottle at the smaller table. Just two doors up thestreet. Have the kindness to bring it to me. "

The steward left for the chutney, and Morris looking after him, sawthat there was some discussion between him and the steward of the othertable. Finally, Morris's steward came back and said, "I am very sorry, sir, but they are using the chutney at that table. "

"Now look here, steward, " said Morris, "you know that you are here totake care of us, and that at the end of the voyage I will take care ofyou. Don't make any mistake about that. You understand me?"

"Yes, sir, I do, " said the steward. "Thank you, sir. "

"All right, " replied Morris. "Now you understand that I want chutney, and chutney I am going to have. "

Steward number one waited until steward number two had disappeared afteranother order, and then he deftly reached over, took the chutney sauce, and placed it before Mr. Morris. 

"Now, Miss Earle, I hope that you will like this chutney sauce. You seethere is some difficulty in getting it, and that of itself ought to be astrong recommendation for it. "

"It is a little too hot to suit me, " answered the young lady, trying theIndian sauce, "still, there is a pleasant flavour about it that I like. "

"Oh, you are all right, " said Morris, jauntily; "you will be a victim ofthe chutney habit before two days. People who dislike it at first areits warmest advocates afterwards. I use the word warmest without anyallusion to the sauce itself, you know. I shall now try some myself. "

As he looked round the table for the large bottle, he saw that it hadbeen whisked away by steward number two, and now stood on the othertable. Miss Earle laughed. 

"Oh, I shall have it in a moment, " said the young man. 

"Do you think it is worth while?"

"Worth while? Why, that is the excitement of a chutney fight. It is notthat we care for chutney at all, but that we simply are bound to haveit. If there were a bottle of chutney at every table, the delights ofchutney would be gone. Steward, " said Morris, as that functionaryappeared, "the chutney, please. "

The steward cast a rapid glance at the other table, and waited untilsteward number two had disappeared. Then Morris had his chutney. Stewardnumber two, seeing his precious bottle gone, tried a second time tostealthily obtain possession of it, but Morris said to him in a pleasantvoice, "That's all right, steward, we are through with the chutney. Takeit along, please. So that, " continued Mr. Morris, as Miss Earle rosefrom the table, "that is your first experience of a chutney fight--oneof the delights of ocean travel. "

FOURTH DAY. 

Mr. George Morris began to find his "early coffees, " as he called them, very delightful. It was charming to meet a pretty and entertainingyoung lady every morning early when they had the deck practicallyto themselves. The fourth day was bright and clear, and the sea wasreasonably calm. For the first time he was up earlier than Miss Earle, and he paced the deck with great impatience, waiting for her appearance. He wondered who and what she was. He had a dim, hazy idea that some timebefore in his life, he had met her, and probably had been acquaintedwith her. What an embarrassing thing it would be, he thought, if he hadreally known her years before, and had forgotten her, while she knew whohe was, and had remembered him. He thought of how accurately she hadguessed his position in life--if it was a guess. He remembered thatoften, when he looked at her, he felt certain he had known her andspoken to her before. He placed the two steamer chairs in position, sothat Miss Earle's chair would be ready for her when she did appear, andthen, as he walked up and down the deck waiting for her, he began towonder at himself. If any one had told him when he left New York that, within three or four days he could feel such an interest in a person whoprevious to that time had been an utter stranger to him, he would havelaughed scornfully and bitterly at the idea. As it was, when he thoughtof all the peculiar circumstances of the case, he laughed aloud, butneither scornfully nor bitterly. 

"You must be having very pleasant thoughts, Mr. Morris, " said MissEarle, as she appeared with a bright shawl thrown over her shoulders, instead of the long cloak that had encased her before, and with a Tam o'Shanter set jauntily on her black, curly hair. 

"You are right, " said Morris, taking off his cap, "I was thinking ofyou. "

"Oh, indeed, " replied the young lady, "that's why you laughed, was it?I may say that I do not relish being laughed at in my absence, or in mypresence either, for that matter. "

"Oh, I assure you I wasn't laughing at you. I laughed with pleasure tosee you come on deck. I have been waiting for you. "

"Now, Mr. Morris, that from a man who boasts of his truthfulness is alittle too much. You did not see me at all until I spoke; and if, as yousay, you were thinking of me, you will have to explain that laugh. "

"I will explain it before the voyage is over, Miss Earle. I can'texplain it just now. "

"Ah, then you admit you were untruthful when you said you laughedbecause you saw me?"

"I may as well admit it. You seem to know things intuitively. I am notnearly as truthful a person as I thought I was until I met you. You seemthe very embodiment of truth. If I had not met you, I imagine I shouldhave gone through life thinking myself one of the most truthful men inNew York. "

"Perhaps that would not be saying very much for yourself, " replied theyoung lady, as she took her place in the steamer chair. 

"I am sorry you have such a poor opinion of us New Yorkers, " said theyoung man. "Why are you so late this morning?"

"I am not late; it is you who are early. This is my usual time. I havebeen a very punctual person all my life. "

"There you go again, speaking as if you were ever so old. "

"I am. "

"Well, I don't believe it. I wish, however, that you had confidenceenough in me to tell me something about yourself. Do you know, I wasthinking this morning that I had met you before somewhere? I feel almostcertain I have. "

"Well, that is quite possible, you know. You are a New Yorker, and Ihave lived in New York for a great number of years, much as you seem todislike that phrase. "

"New York! Oh, that is like saying you have lived in America and I havelived in America. We might live for hundreds of years in New York andnever meet one another!"

"That is very true, except that the time is a little long. "

"Then won't you tell me something about yourself?"

"No, I will not. "

"Why?"

"Why? Well, if you will tell me why you have the right to ask such aquestion, I shall answer why. "

"Oh, if you talk of rights, I suppose I haven't the right. But I amwilling to tell you anything about myself. Now, a fair exchange, youknow--"

"But I don't wish to know anything about you. "

"Oh, thank you. "

George Morris's face clouded, and he sat silent for a few moments. 

"I presume, " he said again, "that you think me very impertinent?"

"Well, frankly, I do. "

Morris gazed out at the sea, and Miss Earle opened the book which shehad brought with her, and began to read. After a while her companionsaid--

"I think that you are a little too harsh with me, Miss Earle. "

The young lady placed her finger between the leaves of the book andclosed it, looking up at him with a frank, calm expression in her darkeyes, but said nothing. 

"You see, it's like this. I said to you a little while since that I seemto have known you before. Now, I'll tell you what I was thinking of whenyou met me this morning. I was thinking what a curious thing it would beif I had been acquainted with you some time during my past life, and hadforgotten you, while you had remembered me. "

"That was very flattering to me, " said the young lady; "I don't wonderyou laughed. "

"That is why I did not wish to tell you what I had been thinkingof--just for fear that you would put a wrong construction on it--as youhave done. But now you can't say anything much harsher to me than youhave said, and so I tell you frankly just what I thought, and why Iasked you those questions which you seem to think are so impertinent. Besides this, you know, a sea acquaintance is different from anyother acquaintance. As I said, the first time I spoke to you--or thesecond--there is no one here to introduce us. On land, when a person isintroduced to another person, he does not say, 'Miss Earle, this is Mr. Morris, who is a younger partner in the house of So-and-so. ' He merelysays, 'Miss Earle, Mr. Morris, ' and there it is. If you want to findanything out about him you can ask your introducer or ask your friends, and you can find out. Now, on shipboard it is entirely different. Suppose, for instance, that I did not tell you who I am, and--if youwill pardon me for suggesting such an absurd supposition---imagine thatyou wanted to find out, how could you do it?"

Miss Earle looked at him for a moment, and then she answered--

"I would ask that blonde young lady. "

This reply was so utterly unexpected by Morris that he looked at herwith wide eyes, the picture of a man dumbfounded. At that moment thesmoking-room steward came up to them and said--

"Will you have your coffee now, sir?"

"Coffee!" cried Morris, as if he had never heard the word before. "Coffee!"

"Yes, " answered Miss Earle, sweetly, "we will have the coffee now, ifyou please. You will have a cup with me, will you not, Mr. Morris?"

"Yes, I will, if it is not too much trouble. "

"Oh, it is no trouble to me, " said, the young lady; "some trouble to thesteward, but I believe even for him that it is not a trouble that cannotbe recompensed. "

Morris sipped his coffee in silence. Every now and then Miss Earle stolea quiet look at him, and apparently was waiting for him to again resumethe conversation. This he did not seem in a hurry to do. At last shesaid--

"Mr. Morris, suppose we were on shipboard and that we had becomeacquainted without the friendly intervention of an introducer, and suppose, if such a supposition is at all within the bounds ofprobability, that you wanted to find out something about me, how wouldyou go about it?"

"How would I go about it?"

"Yes. How?"

"I would go about it in what would be the worst possible way. I wouldfrankly ask you, and you would as frankly snub me. "

"Suppose, then, while declining to tell you anything about myself I wereto refer you to somebody who would give you the information you desire, would you take the opportunity of learning?"

"I would prefer to hear from yourself anything I desired to learn. "

"Now, that is very nicely said, Mr. Morris, and you make me feel almostsorry, for having spoken to you as I did. Still, if you really want tofind out something about me, I shall tell you some one whom you can ask, and who will doubtless answer you. "

"Who is that? The captain?"

"No. It is the same person to whom I should go if I wished to haveinformation of you--the blonde young lady. "

"Do you mean to say you know her?" asked the astonished young man. 

"I said nothing of the sort. "

"Well, _do_ you know her?"

"No, I do not. "

"Do you know her name?"

"No, I do not even know her name. "

"Have you ever met her before you came on board this ship?"

"Yes, I have. "

"Well, if that isn't the most astonishing thing I ever heard!"

"I don't see why it is. You say you thought you had met me before. Asyou are a man no doubt you have forgotten it. I say I think I have metthat young lady before. As she is a woman I don't think she will haveforgotten. If you have any interest in the matter at all you mightinquire. "

"I shall do nothing of the sort. "

"Well, of course, I said I thought you hadn't very much interest. I onlysupposed the case. "

"It is not that I have not the interest, but it is that I prefer to goto the person who can best answer my question if she chooses to do so. If she doesn't choose to answer me, then I don't choose to learn. "

"Now, I like that ever so much, " said the young lady; "if you will getme another cup of coffee I shall be exceedingly obliged to you. Myexcuse is that these cups are very small, and the coffee is very good. "

"I am sure you don't need any excuse, " replied Morris, springing to hisfeet, "and I am only too happy to be your steward without the hope ofthe fee at the end of the voyage. "

When he returned she said, "I think we had better stop the personalconversation into which we have drifted. It isn't at all pleasant tome, and I don't think it is very agreeable to you. Now, I intended thismorning to give you a lesson on American literature. I feel that youneed enlightening on the subject, and that you have neglected youropportunities, as most New York men do, and so I thought you would beglad of a lesson or two. "

"I shall be very glad of it indeed. I don't know what our opportunitiesare, but if most New York men are like me I imagine a great many ofthem are in the same fix. We have very little time for the study of theliterature of any country. "

"And perhaps very little inclination. "

"Well, you know, Miss Earle, there is some excuse for a busy man. Don'tyou think there is?"

"I don't think there is very much. Who in America is a busier man thanMr. Gladstone? Yet he reads nearly everything, and is familiar withalmost any subject you can mention. "

"Oh, Gladstone! Well, he is a man of a million. But you take the averageNew York man. He is worried in business, and kept on the keen jump allthe year round. Then he has a vacation, say for a couple of weeks or amonth, in summer, and he goes off into the woods with his fishing kit, or canoeing outfit, or his amateur photographic set, or whatever thetools of his particular fad may be. He goes to a book-store and buys upa lot of paper-covered novels. There is no use of buying an expensivebook, because he would spoil it before he gets back, and he wouldbe sure to leave it in some shanty. So he takes those paper-coveredabominations, and you will find torn copies of them scattered allthrough the Adirondacks, and down the St. Lawrence, and everywhere elsethat tourists congregate. I always tell the book-store man to give methe worst lot of trash he has got, and he does. Now, what is that bookyou have with you?"

"This is one of Mr. Howells' novels. You will admit, at least, that youhave heard of Howells, I suppose?"

"Heard of him? Oh yes; I have read some of Howells' books. I am not asignorant as you seem to think. "

"What have you read of Mr. Howells'?"

"Well, I read 'The American, ' I don't remember the others. "

"'The American!' That is by Henry James. "

"Is it? Well, I knew that it was by either Howells or James, I forgotwhich. They didn't write a book together, did they?"

"Well, not that I know of. Why, the depth of your ignorance aboutAmerican literature is something appalling. You talk of it so jauntilythat you evidently have no idea of it yourself. "

"I wish you would take me in hand, Miss Earle. Isn't there any sort ofcondensed version that a person could get hold of? Couldn't you giveme a synopsis of what is written, so that I might post myself up inliterature without going to the trouble of reading the books?"

"The trouble! Oh, if that is the way you speak, then your case ishopeless! I suspected it for some time, but now I am certain. Thetrouble! The _delight_ of reading a new novel by Howells is somethingthat you evidently have not the remotest idea of. Why, I don't know whatI would give to have with me a novel of Howells' that I had notread. "

"Goodness gracious! You don't mean to say that you have read_everything_ he has written?"

"Certainly I have, and I am reading one now that is coming out in themagazine; and I don't know what I shall do if I am not able to get themagazine when I go to Europe. "

"Oh, you can get them over there right enough, and cheaper than you canin America. They publish them over there. "

"Do they? Well, I am glad to hear it. "

"You see, there is something about American literature that you arenot acquainted with, the publication of our magazines in England, for instance. Ah, there is the breakfast gong. Well, we will have topostpone our lesson in literature until afterwards. Will you be up hereafter breakfast?"

"Yes, I think so. "

"Well, we will leave our chairs and rugs just where they are. I willtake your book down for you. Books have the habit of disappearing ifthey are left around on shipboard. "

After breakfast Mr. Morris went to the smoking-room to enjoy his cigar, and there was challenged to a game of cards. He played one game; but hismind was evidently not on his amusement, so he excused himself from anyfurther dissipation in that line, and walked out on deck. The promiseof the morning had been more than fulfilled in the day, and the warmsunlight and mild air had brought on deck many who had not been visibleup to that time. There was a long row of muffled up figures on steamerchairs, and the deck steward was kept busy hurrying here and thereattending to the wants of the passengers. Nearly every one had a book, but many of the books were turned face downwards on the steamer rugs, while the owners either talked to those next them, or gazed idly out atthe blue ocean. In the long and narrow open space between the chairs andthe bulwarks of the ship, the energetic pedestrians were walking up anddown. 

At this stage of the voyage most of the passengers had found congenialcompanions, and nearly everybody was acquainted with everybody else. Morris walked along in front of the reclining passengers, scanningeach one eagerly to find the person he wanted, but she was not there. Remembering then that the chairs had been on the other side of theship, he continued his walk around the wheel-house, and there he sawMiss Earle, and sitting beside her was the blonde young lady talkingvivaciously, while Miss Earle listened. 

Morris hesitated for a moment, but before he could turn back the younglady sprang to her feet, and said--"Oh, Mr. Morris, am I sitting inyour chair?"

"What makes you think it is my chair?" asked that gentleman, not in themost genial tone of voice. 

"I thought so, " replied the young lady, with a laugh, "because it wasnear Miss Earle. "

Miss Earle did not look at all pleased at this remark. She colouredslightly, and, taking the open book from her lap, began to read. 

"You are quite welcome to the chair, " replied Morris, and the moment thewords were spoken he felt that somehow it was one of those things hewould rather have left unsaid, as far as Miss Earle was concerned. "Ibeg that you will not disturb yourself, " he continued; and, raising hishat to the lady, he continued his walk. 

A chance acquaintance joined him, changing his step to suit that ofMorris, and talked with him on the prospects of the next year beinga good business season in the United States. Morris answered ratherabsent-mindedly, and it was nearly lunch-time before he had anopportunity of going back to see whether or not Miss Earle's companionhad left. When he reached the spot where they had been sitting he foundthings the very reverse of what he had hoped. Miss Earle's chair wasvacant, but her companion sat there, idly turning over the leaves of thebook that Miss Earle had been reading. "Won't you sit down, Mr. Morris?"said the young woman, looking up at him with a winning smile. "MissEarle has gone to dress for lunch. I should do the same thing, but, alas! I am too indolent. "

Morris hesitated for a moment, and then sat down beside her. 

"Why do you act so perfectly horrid to me?" asked the young lady, closing the book sharply. 

"I was not aware that I acted horridly to anybody, " answered Morris. 

"You know well enough that you have been trying your very best to avoidme. "

"I think you are mistaken. I seldom try to avoid any one, and I see noreason why I should try to avoid you. Do you know of any reason?"

The young lady blushed and looked down at her book, whose leaves sheagain began to turn. 

"I thought, " she said at last, "that you might have some feeling againstme, and I have no doubt you judge me very harshly. You never _did_ makeany allowances. "

Morris gave a little laugh that was half a sneer. 

"Allowances?" he said. 

"Yes, allowances. You know you always were harsh with me, George, always. " And as she looked up at him her blue eyes were filled withtears, and there was a quiver at the corner of her mouth. "What asplendid actress you would make, Blanche, " said the young man, callingher by her name for the first time. 

She gave him a quick look as he did so. "Actress!" she cried. "No onewas ever less an actress than I am, and you know that. "

"Oh, well, what's the use of us talking? It's all right. We made alittle mistake, that's all, and people often make mistakes in this life, don't they, Blanche?"

"Yes, " sobbed that young lady, putting her dainty silk handkerchief toher eyes. 

"Now, for goodness sake, " said the young man, "don't do that. Peoplewill think I am scolding you, and certainly there is no one in thisworld who has less right to scold you than I have. "

"I thought, " murmured the young lady, from behind her handkerchief, "that we might at least be friends. I didn't think you could ever act soharshly towards me as you have done for the past few days. "

"Act?" cried the young man. "Bless me, I haven't acted one way or theother. I simply haven't had the pleasure of meeting you till the otherevening, or morning, which ever it was. I have said nothing, and donenothing. I don't see how I could be accused of acting, or of anythingelse. "

"I think, " sobbed the young lady, "that you might at least have spokenkindly to me. "

"Good gracious!" cried Morris, starting up, "here comes Miss Earle. Forheaven's sake put up that handkerchief. "

But Blanche merely sank her face lower in it, while silent sobs shookher somewhat slender form. 

Miss Earle stood for a moment amazed as she looked at Morris's flushedface, and at the bowed head of the young lady beside him; then, withouta word, she turned and walked away. 

"I wish to goodness, " said Morris, harshly, "that if you are going tohave a fit of crying you would not have it on deck, and where people cansee you. "

The young woman at once straightened up and flashed a look at him inwhich there were no traces of her former emotion. 

"People!" she said, scornfully. "Much _you_ care about people. It isbecause Miss Katherine Earle saw me that you are annoyed. You are afraidthat it will interfere with your flirtation with her. "

"Flirtation?"

"Yes, flirtation. Surely it can't be anything more serious?"

"Why should it not be something more serious?" asked Morris, verycoldly. The blue eyes opened wide in apparent astonishment. 

"Would you _marry_ her?" she said, with telling emphasis upon the word. 

"Why not?" he answered. "Any man might be proud to marry a lady likeMiss Earle. "

"A lady! Much of a lady she is! Why, she is one of your own shop-girls. You know it. "

"Shop-girls?" cried Morris, in astonishment. 

"Yes, shop-girls. You don't mean to say that she has concealed that factfrom you, or that you didn't know it by seeing her in the store?"

"A shop-girl in my store?" he murmured, bewildered. "I knew I had seenher somewhere. "

Blanche laughed a little irritating laugh. 

"What a splendid item it would make for the society papers, " she said. "The junior partner marries one of his own shop-girls, or, worse still, the junior partner and one of his shop-girls leave New York on the _Cityof Buffalo_, and are married in England. I hope that the reporters willnot get the particulars of the affair. " Then, rising, she left theamazed young man to his thoughts. 

George Morris saw nothing more of Miss Katherine Earle that day. 

"I wonder what that vixen has said to her, " he thought, as he turned infor the night. 

FIFTH DAY. 

In the early morning of the fifth day out, George Morris paced the deckalone. 

"Shop-girl or not, " he had said to himself, "Miss Katherine Earle ismuch more of a lady than the other ever was. " But as he paced the deck, and as Miss Earle did not appear, he began to wonder more and more whathad been said to her in the long talk of yesterday forenoon. MeanwhileMiss Earle sat in her own state-room thinking over the same subject. Blanche had sweetly asked her for permission to sit down beside her. 

"I know no ladies on board, " she said, "and I think I have met youbefore. "

"Yes, " answered Miss Earle, "I think we have met before. "

"How good of you to have remembered me, " said Blanche, kindly. 

"I think, " replied Miss Earle, "that it is more remarkable that youshould remember me than that I should remember you. Ladies very rarelynotice the shop-girls who wait upon them. "

"You seemed so superior to your station, " said Blanche, "that I couldnot help remembering you, and could not help thinking what a pity it wasyou had to be there. "

"I do not think that there is anything either superior or inferior aboutthe station. It is quite as honourable, or dishonourable, which ever itmay be, as any other branch of business. I cannot see, for instance, whymy station, selling ribbons at retail, should be any more dishonourablethan the station of the head of the firm, who merely does on a verylarge scale what I was trying to do for him on a very limited scale. "

"Still, " said Blanche, with a yawn, "people do not all look upon it inexactly that light. "

"Hardly any two persons look on any one thing in the same light. I hopeyou have enjoyed your voyage so far?"

"I have not enjoyed it very much, " replied the young lady with a sigh. 

"I am sorry to hear that. I presume your father has been ill most of theway?"

"My father?" cried the other, looking at her questioner. 

"Yes, I did not see him at the table since the first day. "

"Oh, he has had to keep his room almost since we left. He is a very poorsailor. "

"Then that must make your voyage rather unpleasant?"

The blonde young lady made no reply, but, taking up the book which MissEarle was reading, said, "You don't find Mr. Morris much of a reader, Ipresume? He used not to be. "

"I know very little about Mr. Morris, " said Miss Earle, freezingly. 

"Why, you knew him before you came on board, did you not?" questionedthe other, raising her eyebrows. 

"No, I did not. "

"You certainly know he is junior partner in the establishment where youwork?"

"I know that, yes, but I had never spoken to him before I met him onboard this steamer. "

"Is that possible? Might I ask you if there is any probability of yourbecoming interested in Mr. Morris?"

"Interested! What do you mean?"

"Oh, you know well enough what I mean. We girls do not need to behumbugs with each other, whatever we may be before the men. When a youngwoman meets a young man in the early morning, and has coffee with him, and when she reads to him, and tries to cultivate his literary tastes, whatever they may be, she certainly shows some interest in the youngman, don't you think so?"

Miss Earle looked for a moment indignantly at her questioner. "I do notrecognise your right, " she said, "to ask me such a question. "

"No? Then let me tell you that I have every right to ask it. I assureyou that I have thought over the matter deeply before I spoke. It seemedto me there was one chance in a thousand--only one chance in a thousand, remember--that you were acting honestly, and on that one chance I tookthe liberty of speaking to you. The right I have to ask such a questionis this--Mr. George Morris has been engaged to me for several years. "

"Engaged to _you_?"

"Yes. If you don't believe it, ask him. "

"It is the very last question in the world I would ask anybody. "

"Well, then, you will have to take my word for it. I hope you are notvery shocked, Miss Earle, to hear what I have had to tell you. "

"Shocked? Oh dear, no. Why should I be? It is really a matter of nointerest to me, I assure you. "

"Well, I am very glad to hear you say so. I did not know but you mighthave become more interested in Mr. Morris than you would care to own. I think myself that he is quite a fascinating young gentleman; but Ithought it only just to you that you should know exactly how mattersstood. "

"I am sure I am very much obliged to you. "

This much of the conversation Miss Earle had thought over in her ownroom that morning. "Did it make a difference to her or not?" that wasthe question she was asking herself. The information had certainlyaffected her opinion of Mr. Morris, and she smiled to herself ratherbitterly as she thought of his claiming to be so exceedingly truthful. Miss Earle did not, however, go up on deck until the breakfast gong hadrung. 

"Good morning, " said Morris, as he took his place at the little table. "I was like the boy on the burning deck this morning, when all but hehad fled. I was very much disappointed that you did not come up, andhave your usual cup of coffee. "

"I am sorry to hear that, " said Miss Earle; "if I had known I wasdisappointing anybody I should have been here. "

"Miss Katherine, " he said, "you are a humbug. You knew very well that Iwould be disappointed if you did not come. "

The young lady looked up at him, and for a moment she thought of tellinghim that her name was Miss Earle, but for some reason she did not do so. 

"I want you to promise now, " he continued, "that to-morrow morning youwill be on deck as usual. "

"Has it become a usual thing, then?"

"Well, that's what I am trying to make it, " he answered. "Will youpromise?"

"Yes, I promise. "

"Very well, then, I look on that as settled. Now, about to-day. What areyou going to do with yourself after breakfast?"

"Oh, the usual thing, I suppose. I shall sit in my steamer chair andread an interesting book. "

"And what is the interesting book for to-day?"

"It is a little volume by Henry James, entitled 'The Siege of London. '"

"Why, I never knew that London had been besieged. When did that happen?"

"Well, I haven't got very far in the book yet, but it seems to havehappened quite recently, within a year or two, I think. It is one of thelatest of Mr. James's short stories. I have not read it yet. "

"Ah, then the siege is not historical?"

"Not historical further than Mr. James is the historian. "

"Now, Miss Earle, are you good at reading out loud?"

"No, I am not. "

"Why, how decisively you say that. I couldn't answer like that, becauseI don't know whether I am or not. I have never tried any of it. But ifyou will allow me, I will read that book out to you. I should like tohave the good points indicated to me, and also the defects. "

"There are not likely to be many defects, " said the young lady. "Mr. James is a very correct writer. But I do not care either to read aloudor have a book read to me. Besides, we disturb the conversation or thereading of any one else who happens to sit near us. I prefer to enjoy abook by reading it myself. "

"Ah, I see you are resolved cruelly to shut me out of all participationin your enjoyment. "

"Oh, not at all. I shall be very happy to discuss the book with youafterwards. You should read it for yourself. Then, when you have doneso, we might have a talk on its merits or demerits, if you think, afteryou have read it, that it has any. "

"Any what? merits or demerits?"

"Well, any either. "

"No; I will tell you a better plan than that. I am not going to waste mytime reading it. "

"Waste, indeed!"

"Certainly waste. Not when I have a much better plan of finding out whatis in the book. I am going to get you to tell me the story after youhave read it. "

"Oh, indeed, and suppose I refuse?"

"Will you?"

"Well, I don't know. I only said suppose. "

"Then I shall spend the rest of the voyage trying to persuade you. "

"I am not very easily persuaded, Mr. Morris. "

"I believe that, " said the young man. "I presume I may sit beside youwhile you are reading your book?"

"You certainly may, if you wish to. The deck is not mine, only thatportion of it, I suppose, which I occupy with the steamer chair. I haveno authority over any of the rest. "

"Now, is that a refusal or an acceptance?"

"It is which ever you choose to think. "

"Well, if it is a refusal, it is probably softening down the 'No, ' butif it is an acceptance it is rather an ungracious one, it seems to me. "

"Well, then, I shall be frank with you. I am very much interested in thisbook. I should a great deal rather read it than talk to you. "

"Oh, thank you, Miss Earle. There can be no possible doubt about yourmeaning now. "

"Well, I am glad of that, Mr. Morris. I am always pleased to think thatI can speak in such a way as not to be misunderstood. "

"I don't see any possible way of misunderstanding that. I wish I did. "

"And then, after lunch, " said the young lady, "I think I shall finishthe book before that time;--if you care to sit beside me or to walk thedeck with me, I shall be very glad to tell you the story. "

"Now, that is perfectly delightful, " cried the young man. "You throw aperson down into the depths, so that he will appreciate all the morebeing brought up into the light again. "

"Oh, not at all. I have no such dramatic ideas in speaking frankly withyou. I merely mean that this forenoon I wish to have to myself, becauseI am interested in my book. At the end of the forenoon I shall probablybe tired of my book and will prefer a talk with you. I don't see whyyou should think it odd that a person should say exactly what a personmeans. "

"And then I suppose in the evening you will be tired of talking with me, and will want to take up your book again. "

"Possibly. "

"And if you are, you won't hesitate a moment about saying so?"

"Certainly not. "

"Well, you are a decidedly frank young lady, Miss Earle; and, after all, I don't know but what I like that sort of thing best. I think if all theworld were honest we would all have a better time of it here. "

"Do you really think so?"

"Yes, I do. "

"You believe in honesty, then?"

"Why, certainly. Have you seen anything in my conduct or bearing thatwould induce you to think that I did not believe in honesty?"

"No, I can't say I have. Still, honesty is such a rare quality that aperson naturally is surprised when one comes unexpectedly upon it. "

George Morris found the forenoon rather tedious and lonesome. He sat inthe smoking room, and once or twice he ventured near where Miss Earlesat engrossed in her book, in the hope that the volume might have beenput aside for the time, and that he would have some excuse for sittingdown and talking with her. Once as he passed she looked up with a brightsmile and nodded to him. 

"Nearly through?" he asked dolefully. 

"Of 'The Siege of London'?" she asked. 

"Yes. "

"Oh, I am through that long ago, and have begun another story. "

"Now, that is not according to contract, " claimed Morris. "The contractwas that when you got through with 'The Siege of London' you were to letme talk with you, and that you were to tell me the story. "

"That was not my interpretation of it. Our bargain, as I understood it, was that I was to have this forenoon to myself, and that I was to usethe forenoon for reading. I believe my engagement with you began in theafternoon. "

"I wish it did, " said the young man, with a wistful look. 

"You wish what?" she said, glancing up at him sharply. 

He blushed as he bent over towards her and whispered, "That ourengagement, Miss Katherine, began in the afternoon. "

The colour mounted rapidly into her cheeks, and for a moment GeorgeMorris thought he had gone too far. It seemed as if a sharp reply wasready on her lips; but, as on another occasion, she checked it and saidnothing. Then she opened her book and began to read. He waited for amoment and said--

"Miss Earle, have I offended you?"

"Did you mean to give offence?" she asked. 

"No, certainly, I did not. "

"Then why should you think you had offended me?"

"Well, I don't know, I--" he stammered. 

Miss Earle looked at him with such clear, innocent, and unwavering eyesthat the young man felt that he could neither apologise nor make anexplanation. 

"I'm afraid, " he said, "that I am encroaching on your time. "

"Yes, I think you are: that is, if you intend to live up to yourcontract, and let me live up to mine. You have no idea how much moreinteresting this book is than you are. "

"Why, you are not a bit flattering, Miss Earle, are you?"

"No, I don't think I am. Do you try to be?"

"I'm afraid that in my lifetime I have tried to be, but I assure you, Miss Earle, that I don't try to be flattering, or try to be anything butwhat I really am when I am in your company. To tell the truth, I am toomuch afraid of you. "

Miss Earle smiled and went on with her reading, while Morris went oncemore back into the smoking-room. 

"Now then, " said George Morris, when lunch was over, "which is it to be?The luxurious languor of the steamer chair or the energetic exercise ofthe deck? Take your choice. "

"Well, " answered the young lady, "as I have been enjoying the luxuriouslanguor all the forenoon, I prefer the energetic exercise, if it isagreeable to you, for a while, at least. "

"It is very agreeable to me. I am all energy this afternoon. In fact, now that you have consented to allow me to talk with you, I feel as if Iwere imbued with a new life. "

"Dear me, " said she, "and all because of the privilege of talking tome?"

"All. "

"How nice that is. You are sure that it is not the effect of the seaair?"

"Quite certain. I had the sea air this forenoon, you know. "

"Oh, yes, I had forgotten that. "

"Well, which side of the deck then?"

"Oh, which ever is the least popular side. I dislike a crowd. "

"I think, Miss Earle, that we will have this side pretty much toourselves. The madd'ing crowd seems to have a preference for the sunnypart of the ship. Now, then, for the siege of London. Who besieged it?"

"A lady. "

"Did she succeed?"

"She did. "

"Well, I am very glad to hear it, indeed. What was she besieging itfor?"

"For social position, I presume. 

"Then, as we say out West, I suppose she had a pretty hard row to hoe?"

"Yes, she had. "

"Well, I never can get at the story by cross-questioning. Now, supposingthat you tell it to me. "

"I think that you had better take the book and read it. I am not a goodstory-teller. "

"Why, I thought we Americans were considered excellent story-tellers. '

"We Americans?"

"Oh, I remember now, you do not lay claim to being an American. You areEnglish, I think you said?"

"I said nothing of the kind. I merely said I lay no claims to being anAmerican. "

"Yes, that was it. "

"Well, you will be pleased to know that this lady in the siege of Londonwas an American. You seem so anxious to establish a person's nationalitythat I am glad to be able to tell you at the very first that she was anAmerican, and, what is more, seemed to be a Western American. "

"Seemed? Oh, there we get into uncertainties again. If I like to knowwhether persons are Americans or not, it naturally follows that I amanxious to know whether they were Western or Eastern Americans. Aren'tyou sure she was a Westerner?"

"The story, unfortunately, leaves that a little vague, so if itdispleases you I shall be glad to stop the telling of it. "

"Oh no, don't do that. I am quite satisfied to take her as an Americancitizen; whether she is East or West, or North or South, does not makethe slightest difference to me. Please go on with the story. "

"Well, the other characters, I am happy to be able to say, are not atall indefinite in the matter of nationality. One is an Englishman; heis even more than that, he is an English nobleman. The other is anAmerican. Then there is the English nobleman's mother, who, ofcourse, is an English woman; and the American's sister, married to anEnglishman, and she, of course, is English-American. Does that satisfyyou?"

"Perfectly. Go on. "

"It seems that the besieger, the heroine of the story if you may callher so, had a past. "

"Has not everybody had a past?"

"Oh no. This past is known to the American and is unknown to the Englishnobleman. "

"Ah, I see; and the American is in love with her in spite of her past?"

"Not in Mr. James's story. "

"Oh, I beg pardon. Well, go on; I shall not interrupt again. "

"It is the English nobleman who is in love with her in spite of hisabsence of knowledge about her past. The English nobleman's mother isvery much against the match. She tries to get the American to tell whatthe past of this woman is. The American refuses to do so. In fact, inParis he has half promised the besieger not to say anything about herpast. She is besieging London, and she wishes the American to remainneutral. But the nobleman's mother at last gets the American to promisethat he will tell her son what he knows of this woman's past. TheAmerican informs the woman what he has promised the nobleman's motherto do, and at this moment the nobleman enters the room. The besieger ofLondon, feeling that her game is up, leaves them together. The Americansays to the nobleman, who stands rather stiffly before him, 'If you wishto ask me any questions regarding the lady who has gone out I shall behappy to tell you. ' Those are not the words of the book, but they arein substance what he said. The nobleman looked at him for a moment withthat hauteur which, we presume, belongs to noblemen, and said quietly, 'I wish to know nothing. ' Now, that strikes me as a very dramatic pointin the story. "

"But _didn't_ he wish to know anything of the woman whom he was goingto marry?"

"I presume that, naturally, he did. "

"And yet he did not take the opportunity of finding out when he had thechance?"

"No, he did not. "

"Well, what do you think of that?"

"What do I think of it? I think it's a very dramatic point in thestory. "

"Yes, but what do you think of his wisdom in refusing to find out whatsort of a woman he was going to marry? Was he a fool or was he a verynoble man?"

"Why, I thought I said at the first that he was a nobleman, anEnglishman. "

"Miss Katherine, you are dodging the question. I asked your opinion ofthat man's wisdom. Was he wise, or was he a fool?"

"What do you think about it? Do you think he was a fool, or a wise man?"

"Well, I asked you for your opinion first. However, I have very littlehesitation in saying, that a man who marries a woman of whom he knowsnothing, is a fool. "

"Oh, but he was well acquainted with this woman. It was only her pastthat he knew nothing about. "

"Well, I think you must admit that a woman's past and a man's past arevery important parts of their lives. Don't you agree with me?"

"I agree with you so seldom that I should hesitate to say I did on thisoccasion. But I have told the story very badly. You will have to read itfor yourself to thoroughly appreciate the different situations, and thenwe can discuss the matter intelligently. "

"You evidently think the man was very noble in refusing to hear anythingabout the past of the lady he was interested in. "

"I confess I do. He was noble, at least, in refusing to let a thirdparty tell him. If he wished any information he should have asked thelady himself. "

"Yes, but supposing she refused to answer him?"

"Then, I think he should either have declined to have anything more todo with her, or, if he kept up his acquaintance, he should have takenher just as she was, without any reference to her past. "

"I suppose you are right. Still, it is a very serious thing for twopeople to marry without knowing something of each other's lives. "

"I am tired of walking, " said Miss Earle, "I am now going to seekcomfort in the luxuriousness, as you call it, of my steamer chair. "

"And may I go with you?" asked the young man. 

"If you also are tired of walking. "

"You know, " he said, "you promised the whole afternoon. You took theforenoon with 'The Siege, ' and now I don't wish to be cheated out of myhalf of the day. "

"Very well, I am rather interested in another story, and if you willtake 'The Siege of London, ' and read it, you'll find how much better thebook is than my telling of the story. "

George Morris had, of course, to content himself with this proposition, and they walked together to the steamer chairs, over which the gailycoloured rugs were spread. 

"Shall I get your book for you?" asked the young man, as he picked upthe rugs. 

"Thank you, " answered Miss Earle, with a laugh, "you have already doneso, " for, as he shook out the rugs, the two books, which were smallhandy volumes, fell out on the deck. 

"I see you won't accept my hint about not leaving the books around. Youwill lose some precious volume one of these days. "

"Oh, I fold them in the rugs, and they are all right. Now, here is yourvolume. Sit down there and read it. " "That means also, 'and keep quiet, ' I suppose?"

"I don't imagine you are versatile enough to read and talk at the sametime. Are you?"

"I should be very tempted to try it this afternoon. "

Miss Earle went on with her reading, and Morris pretended to go on withhis. He soon found, however, that he could not concentrate his attentionon the little volume in his hand, and so quickly abandoned the attempt, and spent his time in meditation and in casting furtive glances at hisfair companion over the top of his book. He thought the steamer chaira perfectly delightful invention. It was an easy, comfortable, andadjustable apparatus, that allowed a person to sit up or to recline atalmost any angle. He pushed his chair back a little, so that be couldwatch the profile of Miss Katherine Earle, and the dark tresses thatformed a frame for it, without risking the chance of having hisespionage discovered. 

"Aren't you comfortable?" asked the young lady, as he shoved back hischair. 

"I am very, very comfortable, " replied the young man. 

"I am glad of that, " she said, as she resumed her reading. 

George Morris watched her turn leaf after leaf as he reclined lazily inhis chair, with half-closed eyes, and said to himself, "Shop-girl ornot, past or not, I'm going to propose to that young lady the first goodopportunity I get. I wonder what she will say?"

"How do you like it?" cried the young lady he was thinking of, with asuddenness that made Morris jump in his chair. 

"Like it?" he cried; "oh, I like it immensely. "

"How far have you got?" she continued. 

"How far? Oh, a great distance. Very much further than I would havethought it possible when I began this voyage. "

Miss Earle turned and looked at him with wide-open eyes, as he made thisstrange reply. 

"What are you speaking of?" she said. 

"Oh, of everything--of the book, of the voyage, of the day. "

"I was speaking of the book, " she replied quietly. "Are you sure youhave not fallen asleep and been dreaming?"

"Fallen asleep? No. Dreaming? Yes. "

"Well, I hope your dreams have been pleasant ones. "

"They have. "

Miss Earle, who seemed to think it best not to follow her investigationsany further, turned once more to her own book, and read it until it wastime to dress for dinner. When that important meal was over, Morris saidto Miss Earle: "Do you know you still owe me part of the day?"

"I thought you said you had a very pleasant afternoon. "

"So I had. So pleasant, you see, that I want to have the pleasureprolonged. I want you to come out and have a walk on the deck now inthe starlight. It is a lovely night, and, besides, you are now halfwayacross the ocean, and yet I don't think you have been out once to seethe phosphorescence. That is one of the standard sights of an oceanvoyage. Will you come?"

Although the words were commonplace enough, there was a tremor in hisvoice which gave a meaning to them that could not be misunderstood. Miss Earle looked at him with serene composure, and yet with a touch ofreproachfulness in her glance. "He talks like this to me, " she said toherself, "while he is engaged to another woman. "

"Yes, " she answered aloud, with more firmness in her voice than mighthave seemed necessary, "I will be happy to walk on the deck with you tosee the phosphorescence. "

He helped to hinder her for a moment in adjusting her wraps, and theywent out in the starlit night together. 

"Now, " he said, "if we are fortunate enough to find the place behindthe after-wheel house vacant we can have a splendid view of thephosphorescence. "

"Is it so much in demand that the place is generally crowded?" sheasked. 

"I may tell you in confidence, " replied Mr. Morris, "that thisparticular portion of the boat is always very popular. Soon as theevening shades prevail the place is apt to be pre-empted by couples thatare very fond of--"

"Phosphorescence, " interjected the young lady. 

"Yes, " he said, with a smile that she could not see in the darkness, "ofphosphorescence. "

"I should think, " said she, as they walked towards the stern of theboat, "that in scientific researches of that sort, the more people whowere there, the more interesting the discussion would be, and themore chance a person would have to improve his mind on the subject ofphosphorescence, or other matters pertaining to the sea. "

"Yes, " replied Morris. "A person naturally would think that, and yet, strange as it may appear, if there ever was a time when two is companyand three is a crowd, it is when looking at the phosphorescence thatfollows the wake of an ocean steamer. "

"Really?" observed the young lady, archly. "I remember you told me thatyou had crossed the ocean several times. "

The young man laughed joyously at this _repartee_, and his companionjoined him with a laugh that was low and musical. 

"He seems very sure of his ground, " she said to herself. "Well, we shallsee. "

As they came to the end of the boat and passed behind the temporarywheel-house erected there, filled with _debris_ of various sorts, blocksand tackle and old steamer chairs, Morris noticed that two others werethere before them standing close together with arms upon the bulwarks. They were standing very close together, so close in fact, that in thedarkness, it seemed like one person. But as Morris stumbled over somechains, the dark, united shadow dissolved itself quickly into twodistinct separate shadows. A flagpole stood at the extreme end of theship, inclining backwards from the centre of the bulwarks, and leaningover the troubled, luminous sea beneath. The two who had taken theirposition first were on one side of the flag-pole and Morris and MissEarle on the other. Their coming had evidently broken the spell for theothers. After waiting for a few moments, the lady took the arm of thegentleman and walked forward. "Now, " said Morris, with a sigh, "we havethe phosphorescence to ourselves. "

"It is very, very strange, " remarked the lady in a low voice. "It seemsas if a person could see weird shapes arising in the air, as if intorment. "

The young man said nothing for a few moments. He cleared his throatseveral times as if to speak, but still remained silent. Miss Earlegazed down at the restless, luminous water. The throb, throb of thegreat ship made the bulwarks on which their arms rested tremble andquiver. 

Finally Morris seemed to muster up courage enough to begin, and he saidone word--

"Katherine. " As he said this he placed his hand on hers as it lay whitebefore him in the darkness upon the trembling bulwark. It seemed to himthat she made a motion to withdraw her hand, and then allowed it toremain where it was. 

"Katherine, " he continued, in a voice that he hardly recognised as hisown, "we have known each other only a very short time comparatively;but, as I think I said to you once before, a day on shipboard may be aslong as a month on shore. Katherine, I want to ask you a question, andyet I do not know--I cannot find--I--I don't know what words to use. "

The young lady turned her face towards him, and he saw her clear-cutprofile sharply outlined against the glowing water as he looked downat her. Although the young man struggled against the emotion, which isusually experienced by any man in his position, yet he felt reasonablysure of the answer to his question. She had come with him out into thenight. She had allowed her hand to remain in his. He was, therefore, stricken dumb with amazement when she replied, in a soft and musicalvoice--

"You do not know what to say? What do you _usually_ say on such anoccasion?"

"Usually say?" he gasped in dismay. "I do not understand you. What doyou mean?"

"Isn't my meaning plain enough? Am I the first young lady to whom youhave not known exactly what to say?"

Mr. Morris straightened up, and folded his arms across his breast;then, ridiculously enough, this struck him as a heroic attitude, andaltogether unsuitable for an American, so he thrust his hands deep inhis coat pockets. 

"Miss Earle, " he said, "I knew that you could be cruel, but I did notthink it possible that you could be so cruel as this. "

"Is the cruelty all on my side, Mr. Morris?" she answered. "Have youbeen perfectly honest and frank with me? You know you have not. Now, I shall be perfectly honest and frank with you. I like you very muchindeed. I have not the slightest hesitation in saying this, because itis true, and I don't care whether you know it, or whether anybody elseknows it or not. "

As she said this the hope which Morris had felt at first, and which hadbeen dashed so rudely to the ground, now returned, and he attempted toput his arm about her and draw her to him; but the young lady quicklyeluded his grasp, stepping to the other side of the flag-pole, andputting her hand upon it. 

"Mr. Morris, " she said, "there is no use of your saying anythingfurther. There is a barrier between us; you know it as well as I. Iwould like us to be friends as usual; but, if we are to be, you willhave to remember the barrier, and keep to your own side of it. "

"I know of no barrier, " cried Morris, vehemently, attempting to comeover to her side. 

"There is the barrier, " she said, placing her hand on the flag-pole. "Myplace is on this side of that barrier; your place is on the other. Ifyou come on this side of that flag-pole, I shall leave you. If youremain on your own side, I shall be very glad to talk with you. "

Morris sullenly took his place on the other side of the flag-pole. "Hasthere been anything in my actions, " said the young lady, "during thetime we have been acquainted that would lead you to expect a differentanswer?"

"Yes. You have treated me outrageously at times, and that gave me somehope. "

Miss Earle laughed her low, musical laugh at this remark. 

"Oh, you may laugh, " said Morris, savagely; "but it is no laughingmatter to me, I assure you. "

"Oh, it will be, Mr. Morris, when you come to think of this episodeafter you get on shore. It will seem to you very, very funny indeed; andwhen you speak to the next young lady on the same subject, perhaps youwill think of how outrageously I have treated your remarks to-night, andbe glad that there are so few young women in the world who would act asI have done. "

"Where did you get the notion, " inquired George Morris, "that I am inthe habit of proposing to young ladies? It is a most ridiculous idea. Ihave been engaged once, I confess it. I made a mistake, and I am sorryfor it. There is surely nothing criminal in that. "

"It depends. "

"Depends on what?"

"It depends on how the other party feels about it. It takes two to makean engagement, and it should take two to break it. "

"Well, it didn't in my case, " said the young man. 

"So I understand, " replied Miss Earle. "Mr. Morris, I wish you a verygood evening. " And before he could say a word she had disappeared in thedarkness, leaving him to ponder bitterly over the events of the evening. 

SIXTH DAY. 

In the vague hope of meeting Miss Earle, Morris rose early, and for awhile paced the deck alone; but she did not appear. Neither did he havethe pleasure of her company at breakfast. The more the young man thoughtof their interview of the previous evening, the more puzzled he was. 

Miss Earle had frankly confessed that she thought a great deal of him, and yet she had treated him with an unfeelingness which left him soreand bitter. She might have refused him; that was her right, of course. But she need not have done it so sarcastically. He walked the deck afterbreakfast, but saw nothing of Miss Earle. As he paced up and down, hemet the very person of all others whom he did not wish to meet. "Goodmorning, Mr. Morris, " she said lightly, holding out her hand. 

"Good morning, " he answered, taking it without much warmth. 

"You are walking the deck all alone, I see. May I accompany you?"

"Certainly, " said the young man, and with that she put her hand onhis arm and they walked together the first two rounds without sayinganything to each other. Then she looked up at him, with a bright smile, and said, "So she refused you?"

"How do you know?" answered the young man, reddening and turning a quicklook at her. 

"How do I know?" laughed the other. "How should I know?"

For a moment it flashed across his mind that Miss Katherine Earle hadspoken of their interview of last night; but a moment later he dismissedthe suspicion as unworthy. 

"How do you know?" he repeated. 

"Because I was told so on very good authority. "

"I don't believe it. "

"Ha, ha! now you are very rude. It is very rude to say to a lady thatshe doesn't speak the truth. "

"Well, rude or not, you are not speaking the truth. Nobody told you sucha thing. "

"My dear George, how impolite you are. What a perfect bear you havegrown to be. Do you want to know who told me?"

"I don't care to know anything about it. "

"Well, nevertheless, I shall tell you. _You_ told me. "

"I did? Nonsense, I never said anything about it. "

"Yes, you did. Your walk showed it. The dejected look showed it, andwhen I spoke to you, your actions, your tone, and your words told it tome plainer than if you had said, 'I proposed to Miss Earle last nightand I was rejected. ' You poor, dear innocent, if you don't brighten upyou will tell it to the whole ship. "

"I am sure, Blanche, that I am very much obliged to you for the interestyou take in me. Very much obliged, indeed. "

"Oh no, you are not; and now, don't try to be sarcastic, it reallydoesn't suit your manner at all. I was very anxious to know how yourlittle flirtation had turned out. I really was. You know I have aninterest in you, George, and always will have, and I wouldn't like thatspiteful little black-haired minx to have got you, and I am very gladshe refused you, although why she did so I cannot for the life of meimagine. "

"It must be hard for you to comprehend why she refused me, now that I ama partner in the firm. " Blanche looked down upon the deck, and did notanswer. 

"I am glad, " she said finally, looking up brightly at him with herinnocent blue eyes, "that you did not put off your proposal untilto-night. We expect to be at Queenstown to-night some time, and weleave there and go on through by the Lakes of Killarney. So, you see, ifyou hadn't proposed last night I should have known nothing at all abouthow the matter turned out, and I should have died of curiosity andanxiety to know. "

"Oh, I would have written to you, " said Morris. "Leave me your addressnow, and I'll write and let you know how it turns out. "

"Oh, " she cried quickly, "then it isn't ended yet? I didn't think youwere a man who would need to be refused twice or thrice. "

"I should be glad to be refused by Miss Earle five hundred times. "

"Indeed?"

"Yes, five hundred times, if on the five hundredth and first time sheaccepted. "

"Is it really so serious as that?"

"It is just exactly that serious. "

"Then your talk to me after all was only pretence?"

"No, only a mistake. "

"What an escape I have had!"

"You have, indeed. "

"Ah, here comes Miss Earle. Really, for a lady who has rejected agentleman, she does not look as supremely happy as she might. I must goand have a talk with her. "

"Look here, Blanche, " cried the young man, angrily, "if you say a wordto her about what we have been speaking of, I'll--"

"What will you do?" said the young lady, sweetly. 

Morris stood looking at her. He didn't himself know what he would do;and Blanche, bowing to him, walked along the deck, and sat down in thesteamer chair beside Miss Earle, who gave her a very scant recognition. 

"Now, you needn't be so cool and dignified, " said the lady. "George andI have been talking over the matter, and I told him he wasn't to feeldiscouraged at a first refusal, if he is resolved to have a shop-girlfor his wife. "

"What! Mr. Morris and you have been discussing me, have you?"

"Is there anything forbidden in that, Miss Earle? You must remember thatGeorge and I are very, very old friends, old and dear friends. Did yourefuse him on my account? I know you like him. "

"Like him?" said Miss Earle, with a fierce light in her eyes, as shelooked at her tormentor. "Yes, I like him, and I'll tell you more thanthat;" she bent over and added in an intense whisper, "I love him, andif you say another word to me about him, or if you dare to discuss mewith him, I shall go up to him where he stands now and accept him. Ishall say to him, 'George Morris, I love you. ' Now if you doubt I shalldo that, just continue in your present style of conversation. "

Blanche leaned back in the steamer chair and turned a trifle pale. Thenshe laughed, that irritating little laugh of hers, and said, "Really Idid not think it had gone so far as that. I'll bid you good morning. "

The moment the chair was vacated, George Morris strolled up and sat downon it. 

"What has that vixen been saying to you?" he asked. 

"That vixen, " said Miss Earle, quietly, "has been telling me that youand she were discussing me this morning, and discussing the conversationthat took place last night. "

"It is a lie, " said Morris. 

"What is? What I say, or what she said, or what she says you said?"

"That we were discussing you, or discussing our conversation, is nottrue. Forgive me for using the coarser word. This was how it was; shecame up to me--"

"My dear Mr. Morris, don't say a word. I know well enough that you wouldnot discuss the matter with anybody. I, perhaps, may go so far as tosay, least of all with her. Still, Mr. Morris, you must remember this, that even if you do not like her now--"

"Like her?" cried Morris; "I hate her. "

"As I was going to say, and it is very hard for me to say it, Mr. Morris, you have a duty towards her as you--we all have our duties toperform, " said Miss Earle, with a broken voice. "You must do yours, andI must do mine. It may be hard, but it is settled. I cannot talk thismorning. Excuse me. " And she rose and left him sitting there. 

"What in the world does the girl mean? I am glad that witch gets off atQueenstown. I believe it is she who has mixed everything up. I wish Iknew what she has been saying. "

Miss Earle kept very closely to her room that day, and in the evening, as they approached the Fastnet Light, George Morris was not able to findher to tell her of the fact that they had sighted land. He took theliberty, however, of scribbling a little note to her, which thestewardess promised to deliver. He waited around the foot of thecompanion-way for an answer. The answer came in the person of MissKatherine herself. 

If refusing a man was any satisfaction, it seemed as if Miss KatherineEarle had obtained very little gratification from it. She looked wearyand sad as she took the young man's arm, and her smile as she looked upat him had something very pathetic in it, as if a word might bringthe tears. They sat in the chairs and watched the Irish coast. Morrispointed out objects here and there, and told her what they were. Atlast, when they went down to supper together, he said--

"We will be at Queenstown some time to-night. It will be quite a curioussight in the moonlight. Wouldn't you like to stay up and see it?"

"I think I would, " she answered. "I take so few ocean voyages that Iwish to get all the nautical experiences possible. "

The young man looked at her sharply, then he said--

"Well, the stop at Queenstown is one of the experiences. May I send thesteward to rap at your door when the engine stops?"

"Oh, I shall stay up in the saloon until that time?"

"It may be a little late. It may be as late as one or two o'clock inthe morning. We can't tell. I should think the best thing for you to dowould be to take a rest until the time comes. I think, Miss Earle, youneed it. "

It was a little after twelve o'clock when the engine stopped. The saloonwas dimly lighted, and porters were hurrying to and fro, getting up thebaggage which belonged to those who were going to get off at Queenstown. The night was very still, and rather cold. The lights of Queenstowncould be seen here and there along the semi-circular range of hills onwhich the town stood. Passengers who were to land stood around the deckwell muffled up, and others who had come to bid them good-bye weretalking sleepily with them. Morris was about to send the steward to MissEarle's room, when that young lady herself appeared. There was somethingspirit-like about her, wrapped in her long cloak, as she walked throughthe half-darkness to meet George Morris. 

"I was just going to send for you, " he said. 

"I did not sleep any, " was the answer, "and the moment the enginestopped I knew we were there. Shall we go on deck?"

"Yes, " he said, "but come away from the crowd, " and with that he led hertowards the stern of the boat. For a moment Miss Earle seemed to holdback, but finally she walked along by his side firmly to where they hadstood the night before. With seeming intention Morris tried to take hisplace beside her, but Miss Earle, quietly folding her cloak around her, stood on the opposite side of the flagpole, and, as if there shouldbe no forgetfulness on his part, she reached up her hand and laid itagainst the staff. 

"She evidently meant what she said, " thought Morris to himself, with asigh, as he watched the low, dim outlines of the hills around QueenstownHarbour, and the twinkling lights here and there. 

"That is the tender coming now, " he said, pointing to the red and greenlights of the approaching boat. "How small it looks beside our monstersteamship. "

Miss Earle shivered. 

"I pity the poor folks who have to get up at this hour of the night andgo ashore. I should a great deal rather go back to my state-room. "

"Well, there is one passenger I am not sorry for, " said Morris, "andthat is the young woman who has, I am afraid, been saying something toyou which has made you deal more harshly with me than perhaps you mightotherwise have done. I wish you would tell me what she said?"

"She has said nothing, " murmured Miss Earle, with a sigh, "but what youyourself have confirmed. I do not pay much attention to what she says. "

"Well, you don't pay much attention to what I say either, " he replied. "However, as I say, there is one person I am not sorry for; I even wishit were raining. I am very revengeful, you see. "

"I do not know that I am very sorry for her myself, " replied Miss Earle, frankly; "but I am sorry for her poor old father, who hasn't appeared inthe saloon a single day except the first. He has been sick the entirevoyage. "

"Her father?" cried Morris, with a rising inflection in his voice. 

"Certainly. "

"Why, bless my soul! Her father has been dead for ages and ages. "

"Then who is the old man she is with?"

"Old man! It would do me good to have her hear you call him the old man. Why, that is her husband. "

"Her husband!" echoed Miss Earle, with wide open eyes, "I thought he washer father. "

"Oh, not at all. It is true, as you know, that I was engaged to theyoung lady, and I presume if I had become a partner in our firm soonerwe would have been married. But that was a longer time coming thansuited my young lady's convenience, and so she threw me over with aslittle ceremony as you would toss a penny to a beggar, and she marriedthis old man for his wealth, I presume. I don't see exactly why sheshould take a fancy to him otherwise. I felt very cut up about it, ofcourse, and I thought if I took this voyage I would at least be rid fora while of the thought of her. They are now on their wedding trip. Thatis the reason your steamer chair was broken, Miss Earle. Here I came onboard an ocean steamer to get rid of the sight or thought of a certainwoman, and to find that I was penned up with that woman, even if heraged husband was with her, for eight or nine days, was too much for me. So I raced up the deck and tried to get ashore. I didn't succeed inthat, but I _did_ succeed in breaking your chair. "

Miss Earle was evidently very much astonished at this revelation, butshe said nothing. After waiting in vain for her to speak, Morris gazedoff at the dim shore. When he looked around he noticed that Miss Earlewas standing on his side of the flagstaff. There was no longer a barrierbetween them. 

SEVENTH DAY. 

If George Morris were asked to say which day of all his life had beenthe most thoroughly enjoyable, he would probably have answered that theseventh of his voyage from New York to Liverpool was the red-letter dayof his life. The sea was as calm as it was possible for a sea to be. Thesun shone bright and warm. Towards the latter part of the day they sawthe mountains of Wales, which, from the steamer's deck, seemed but a lowrange of hills. It did not detract from Morris's enjoyment to know thatMrs. Blanche was now on the troubleless island of Ireland, and that hewas sailing over this summer sea with the lady who, the night before, had promised to be his wife. 

During the day Morris and Katherine sat together on the sunny side ofthe ship looking at the Welsh coast. Their books lay unread on the rug, and there were long periods of silences between them. 

"I don't believe, " said Morris, "that anything could be more perfectlydelightful than this. I wish the shaft would break. "

"I hope it won't, " answered the young lady; "the chances are you wouldbe as cross as a bear before two days had gone past, and would want togo off in a small boat. "

"Oh, I should be quite willing to go off in a small boat if you wouldcome with me. I would do that now. "

"I am very comfortable where I am, " answered Miss Katherine. "I knowwhen to let well enough alone. "

"And I don't, I suppose you mean?"

"Well, if you wanted to change this perfectly delightful day for anyother day, or this perfectly luxurious and comfortable mode of travelfor any other method, I should suspect you of not letting well enoughalone. "

"I have to admit, " said George, "that I am completely and serenelyhappy. The only thing that bothers me is that to-night we shall be inLiverpool. I wish this hazy and dreamy weather could last for ever, andI am sure I could stand two extra days of it going just as we are now. Ithink with regret of how much of this voyage we have wasted. "

"Oh, you think it was wasted, do you?"

"Well, wasted as compared with this sort of life. This seems to me likea rest after a long chase. "

"Up the deck?" asked the young lady, smiling at him. 

"Now, see here, " said Morris, "we may as well understand this firstas last, that unfortunate up-the-deck chase has to be left out of ourfuture life. I am not going to be twitted about that race every time acertain young lady takes a notion to have a sort of joke upon me. "

"That was no joke, George. It was the most serious race you ever ran inyour life. You were running away from one woman, and, poor blind youngman, you ran right in the arms of another. The danger you have run intois ever so much greater than the one you were running away from. "

"Oh, I realise that, " said the young man, lightly; "that's what makes meso solemn to-day, you know. " His hand stole under the steamer rugs andimprisoned her own. 

"I am afraid people will notice that, " she said quietly. 

"Well, let them; I don't care. I don't know anybody on board this ship, anyhow, except you, and if you realised how very little I care for theiropinions you would not try to withdraw your hand. "

"I am not trying very hard, " answered the young woman; and then therewas another long silence. Finally she continued--

"I am going to take the steamer chair and do it up in ribbons when I getashore. "

"I am afraid it will not be a very substantial chair, no matter what youdo with it. It will be a trap for those who sit in it. "

"Are you speaking of your own experience?"

"No, of yours. "

"George, " she said, after a long pause, "did you like her very much?"

"Her?" exclaimed the young man, surprised. "Who?"

"Why, the young lady you ran away from. You know very well whom I mean. "

"Like her? Why, I hate her. "

"Yes, perhaps you do now. But I am asking of former years. How long wereyou engaged to her?"

"Engaged? Let me see, I have been engaged just about--well, nottwenty-four hours yet. I was never engaged before. I thought I was, butI wasn't really. "

Miss Earle shook her head. "You must have liked her very much, " shesaid, "or you never would have proposed marriage to her. You would neverhave been engaged to her. You never would have felt so badly when she--"

"Oh, say it out, " said George, "jilted me, that is the word. "

"No, that is not the phrase I wanted to use. She didn't really jilt you, you know. It was because you didn't have, or thought you didn't have, money enough. She would like to be married to you to-day. "

George shuddered. 

"I wish, " he said, "that you wouldn't mar a perfect day by a horriblesuggestion. "

"The suggestion would not have been so horrible a month ago. "

"My dear girl, " said Morris, rousing himself up, "it's a subject that Ido not care much to talk about, but all young men, or reasonably youngmen, make mistakes in their lives. That was my mistake. My great luckwas that it was discovered in time. As a general thing, affairs in thisworld are admirably planned, but it does seem to me a great mistake thatyoung people have to choose companions for life at an age when theyreally haven't the judgment to choose a house and lot. Now, confessyourself, I am not your first lover, am I?"

Miss Earle looked at him for a moment before replying. 

"You remember, " she said, "that once you spoke of not having toincriminate yourself. You refused to answer a question I asked you onthat ground. Now, I think this is a case in which I would be quitejustified in refusing to answer. If I told you that you were my firstlover, you would perhaps be manlike enough to think that after all youhad only taken what nobody else had expressed a desire for. A man doesnot seem to value anything unless some one else is struggling for it. "

"Why, what sage and valuable ideas you have about men, haven't you, mydear?"

"Well, you can't deny but what there is truth in them. "

"I not only can, but I do. On behalf of my fellow men, and on behalfof myself, I deny it. "

"Then, on the other hand, " she continued, "if I confessed to you that Idid have half a score or half a dozen of lovers, you would perhaps thinkI had been jilting somebody or had been jilted. So you see, taking itall in, and thinking the matter over, I shall refuse to answer yourquestion. "

"Then you will not confess?"

"Yes, I shall confess. I have been wanting to confess to you for somelittle time, and have felt guilty because I did not do so. "

"I am prepared to receive the confession, " replied the young man, lazily, "and to grant absolution. "

"Well, you talk a great deal about America and about Americans, andtalk as if you were proud of the country, and of its ways, and of itspeople. "

"Why, I am, " answered the young man. 

"Very well, then; according to your creed one person is just as good asanother. "

"Oh, I don't say that, I don't hold that for a moment. I don't think Iam as good as you, for instance. "

"But what I mean is this, that one's occupation does not necessarilygive one a lower station than another. If that is not your belief thenyou are not a true American, that is all. "

"Well, yes, that is my belief. I will admit I believe all that. What ofit?"

"What of it? There is this of it. You are the junior partner of a largeestablishment in New York?"

"Nothing criminal in that, is there?"

"Oh, I don't put it as an accusation, I am merely stating the fact. Youadmit the fact, of course?"

"Yes. The fact is admitted, and marked 'Exhibit A, ' and placed inevidence. Now, what next?"

"In the same establishment there was a young woman who sold ribbons toall comers?"

"Yes, I admit that also, and the young lady's name was Miss KatherineEarle. "

"Oh, you knew it, then?"

"Why, certainly I did. "

"You knew it before you proposed to me. "

"Oh, I seem to have known that fact for years and years. "

"She told it to you. "

"She? What she?"

"You know very well who I mean, George. She told it to you, didn't she?"

"Why, don't you think I remembered you--remembered seeing you there?"

"I know very well you did not. You may have seen me there, but you didnot remember me. The moment I spoke to you on the deck that day in thebroken chair, I saw at once you did not remember me, and there is verylittle use of your trying to pretend you thought of it afterwards. Shetold it to you, didn't she?"

"Now, look here, Katherine, it isn't I who am making a confession, itis you. It is not customary for a penitent to cross-examine the fatherconfessor in that style. "

"It does not make any difference whether you confess or not, George; Ishall always know she told you that. After all, I wish she had left itfor me to tell. I believe I dislike that woman very much. "

"Shake hands, Kate, over that. So do I. Now, my dear, tell me what shetold _you_. "

"Then she _did_ tell you that, did she?"

"Why, if you are so sure of it without my admitting it, why do you askagain?"

"I suppose because I wanted to make doubly sure. "

"Well, then, assurance is doubly sure. I admit she did. "

"And you listened to her, George?" said Katherine, reproachfully. 

"Listened? Why, of course I did. I couldn't help myself. She said itbefore I knew what she was going to say. She didn't give me the chancethat your man had in that story you were speaking of. I said somethingthat irritated her and she out with it at once as if it had been a crimeon your part. I did not look on it in that light, and don't now. Anyhow, you are not going back to the ribbon counter. "

"No, " answered the young lady, with a sigh, looking dreamily out intothe hazy distance. "No, I am not. "

"At least, not that side of the counter, " said George. 

She looked at him for a moment, as if she did not understand him; thenshe laughed lightly. 

"Now, " said Morris, "I have done most of the confession on thisconfession of yours. Supposing I make a confession, and ask you to tellme what she told you. "

"Well, she told me that you were a very fascinating young man, " answeredKatherine, with a sigh. 

"Really. And did after-acquaintance corroborate that statement?"

"I never had occasion to tell her she was mistaken. "

"What else did she say? Didn't mention anything about my prospects orfinancial standing in any way?"

"No; we did not touch on that subject. "

"Come, now, you cannot evade the question. What else did she say toyou about me?"

"I don't know that it is quite right to tell you, but I suppose I may. She said that you were engaged to her. "

"Had been. "

"No, were. "

"Oh, that's it. She did not tell you she was on her wedding tour?"

"No, she did not. "

"And didn't you speak to her about her father being on board?"

Katherine laughed her low, enjoyable laugh. 

"Yes, " she said, "I did, and I did not think till this moment of howflustered she looked. But she recovered her lost ground with a greatdeal of dexterity. "

"By George, I should like to have heard that! I am avenged!"

"Well, so is she, " was the answer. 

"How is that?"

"You are engaged to me, are you not?"

Before George could make any suitable reply to this bit of humbug, oneof the officers of the ship stopped before them. 

"Well, " he said, "I am afraid we shall not see Liverpool to-night. "

"Really. Why?" asked George. 

"This haze is settling down into a fog. It will be as thick as pea-soupbefore an hour. I expect there will be a good deal of grumbling amongthe passengers. "

As he walked on, George said to Katherine, "There are two passengers whowon't grumble any, will they, my dear?"

"I know one who won't, " she answered. 

The fog grew thicker and thicker; the vessel slowed down, and finallystopped, sounding every now and then its mournful, timber-shakingwhistle. 

EIGHTH DAY. 

On the afternoon of the eighth day George Morris and Katherine Earlestood together on the deck of the tender, looking back at the hugesteamship which they had just left. 

"When we return, " he said, "I think we shall choose this ship. "

"Return?" she answered, looking at him. 

"Why, certainly; we are going back, are we not?"

"Dear me, " she replied, "I had not thought of that. You see, when I leftAmerica I did not intend to go back. "

"Did you not? I thought you were only over here for the trip. "

"Oh no. I told you I came on business, not on pleasure. "

"And did you intend to stay over here?"

"Certainly. "

"Why, that's strange; I never thought of that. "

"It is strange, too, " said Katherine, "that I never thought of goingback. "

"And--and, " said the young man, "won't you go?"

She pressed his arm, and stood motionless. 

"'Where thou goest, I will go. Thy people shall be my people. '"

"That's a quotation, I suppose?" said George. 

"It is, " answered Katherine. 

"Well, you see, as I told you, I am not very well read up on the booksof the day. "

"I don't know whether you would call that one of the books of the day ornot, " said Katherine; "it is from the Bible. "

"Oh, " answered the other. "I believe, Kate, you will spend the rest ofyour life laughing at me. "

"Oh no, " said the young lady, "I always thought I was fitted formissionary life. Now, look what a chance I have. "

"You have taken a big contract, I admit. "

They had very little trouble with their luggage. It is true that theEnglish officials looked rather searchingly in Katherine's trunk fordynamite, but, their fears being allayed in that direction, the trunkswere soon chalked and on the back of a stout porter, who transferredthem to the top of a cab. 

"I tell you what it is, " said George, "it takes an American Custom-houseofficial to make the average American feel ashamed of his country. "

"Why, I did not think there was anything over there that could make youfeel ashamed of your country. You are such a thorough-going American. "

"Well, the Customs officials in New York have a knack of making a personfeel that he belongs to no place on earth. "

They drove to the big Liverpool hotel which is usually frequented byAmericans who land in that city, and George spent the afternoon inattending to business in Liverpool, which he said he did not expect tohave to look after when he left America, but which he desired very muchto get some information about. 

Katherine innocently asked if she could be of any assistance to him, and he replied that she might later on, but not at the present state ofproceedings. 

In the evening they went to a theatre together, and took a long routeback to the hotel. 

"It isn't a very pretty city, " said Miss Earle. 

"Oh, I think you are mistaken, " replied her lover. "To me it is the mostbeautiful city in the world. "

"Do you really mean that?" she said, looking at him with surprise. 

"Yes, I do. It is the first city through which I have walked with thelady who is to be my wife. "

"Oh, indeed, " remarked the lady who was to be his wife, "and have younever walked with--"

"Now, see here, " said Morris, "that subject is barred out. We left allthose allusions on the steamer. I say I am walking now with the ladywho _is_ to be my wife. I think that statement of the case is perfectlycorrect, is it not?"

"I believe it is rather more accurate than the average statement of theaverage American. "

"Now, Katherine, " he said, "do you know what information I have beenlooking up since I have been in Liverpool?"

"I haven't the slightest idea, " she said. "Property?"

"No, not property. "

"Looking after your baggage, probably?"

"Well, I think you have got it this time. I _was_ looking after mybaggage. I was trying to find out how and when we could get married. "

"Oh!"

"Yes, oh! Does that shock you? I find they have some idiotic arrangementby which a person has to live here three months before he can bemarried, although I was given some hope that, by paying for it, a personcould get a special licence. If that is the case, I am going to have aspecial licence to-morrow. "

"Indeed?"

"Yes, indeed. Then we can be married at the hotel. "

"And don't you think, George, that I might have something to say aboutthat?"

"Oh, certainly! I intended to talk with you about it. Of course I amtalking with you now on that subject. You admitted the possibility ofour getting married. I believe I had better get you to put it down inwriting, or have you say it before witnesses, or something of thatsort. "

"Well, I shouldn't like to be married in a hotel. "

"In a church, then? I suppose I can make arrangements that will includea church. A parson will marry us. That parson, if he is the right sort, will have a church. It stands to reason, therefore, that if we give himthe contract he will give us the use of his church, _quid pro quo_, youknow. "

"Don't talk flippantly, please. I think it better to wait untilto-morrow, George, before you do anything rash. I want to seesomething of the country. I want us to take a little journey togetherto-morrow, and then, out in the country, not in this grimy, sooty city, we will make arrangements for our marriage. "

"All right, my dear. Where do you intend to go?"

"While you have been wasting your time in getting information relatingto matrimony, I have been examining time-tables. Where I want to gois two or three hours' ride from here. We can take one of the morningtrains, and when we get to the place I will allow you to hire aconveyance, and we will have a real country drive. Will you go with me?"

"_Will_ I? You better believe I will. But you see, Katherine, I want toget married as soon as possible. Then we can take a little trip on theContinent before it is time for us to go back to America. You have neverbeen on the Continent, have you?"

"Never. "

"Well, I am very glad of that. I shall be your guide, philosopher, andfriend, and, added to that, your husband. "

"Very well, we will arrange all that on our little excursion to-morrow. "

NINTH DAY. 

Spring in England--and one of those perfect spring days in whichall rural England looks like a garden. The landscape was especiallybeautiful to American eyes, after the more rugged views of Transatlanticscenery. The hedges were closely clipped, the fields of the deepestgreen, and the hills far away were blue and hazy in the distance. 

"There is no getting over the fact, " said Morris, "that this is theprettiest country in the whole world. "

During most of the journey Katherine Earle sat back in her corner of thefirst-class compartment, and gazed silently out of the flying windows. She seemed too deeply impressed with the beauty of the scene to care forconversation even with the man she was to marry. At last they stoppedat a pretty little rural station, with the name of the place done inflowers of vivid colour that stood out against the brown of the eartharound, them and the green turf which formed the sloping bank. 

"Now, " said George, as they stood on the platform, "whither away? Whichdirection?"

"I want to see, " said she, "a real, genuine, old English country home. "

"A castle?"

"No, not a castle. "

"Oh, I know what you want. Something like Haddon Hall, or that sort ofthing. An old manor house. Well, wait a minute, and I'll talk to thestation master, and find out all there is about this part of thecountry. "

And before she could stop him, he had gone to make his inquiry of thatofficial. Shortly after he came back with a list of places that wereworth seeing, which he named. 

"Holmwood House, " she repeated. "Let us see that. How far is it?"

George again made inquiries, and found that it was about eight milesaway. The station-master assured him that the road thither was one ofthe prettiest drives in the whole country. 

"Now, what kind of a conveyance will you have? There are four-wheeledcabs, and there is even a hansom to be had. Will you have two horses orone, and will you have a coachman?"

"None of these, " she said, "if you can get something you can driveyourself--I suppose you are a driver?"

"Oh, I have driven a buggy. "

"Well, get some sort of conveyance that we can both sit in while youdrive. "

"But don't you think we will get lost?"

"We can inquire the way, " she said, "and if we do get lost, it won'tmatter. I want to have a long talk with you before we reach the place. "

They crossed the railway by a bridge over the line, and descended into avalley along which the road wound. 

The outfit which George had secured was a neat little cart made of woodin the natural colour and varnished, and a trim little pony, whichlooked ridiculously small for two grown people, and yet was, as Georgeafterwards said, "as tough as a pine knot. "

The pony trotted merrily along, and needed no urging. George doubtlesswas a good driver, but whatever talents he had in that line were notbrought into play. The pony was a treasure that had apparently no badqualities. For a long time the two in the cart rode along the smoothhighway silently, until at last Morris broke out with--

"Oh, see here! This is not according to contract. You said you wanted along talk, and now you are complacently saying nothing. "

"I do not know exactly how to begin. "

"Is it so serious as all that?"

"It is not serious exactly--it is merely, as it were, a continuationof the confession. "

"I thought we were through with that long ago. Are there any morehorrible revelations?"

She looked at him with something like reproach in her eyes. 

"If you are going to talk flippantly, I think I will postpone what Ihave to say until another time. "

"My dear Kate, give a man a chance. He can't reform in a moment. I neverhad my flippancy checked before. Now then, I am serious again. Whatappalling--I mean--you see how difficult it is, Katherine--I mean, whatserious subject shall we discuss?"

"Some other time. "

"No--now. I insist on it. Otherwise I will know I am unforgiven. "

"There is nothing to forgive. I merely wanted to tell you something morethan you know about my own history. "

"I know more now than that man in the story. "

"He did not object to the knowledge, you know. He objected to receivingit from a third person. Now I am not a third person, am I?"

"Indeed, you are not. You are first person singular--at present--thefirst person to me at least. There, I am afraid I have dropped intoflippancy again. "

"That is not flippancy. That is very nice. " The interval shall beunreported. 

At last Katherine said quietly, "My mother came from this part ofEngland. "

"Ah! That is why you wanted to come here. "

"That is why I wanted to come here. She was her father's only daughter, and, strange to say, he was very fond of her, and proud of her. "

"Why strange?"

"Strange from his action for years after. She married against his will. He never forgave her. My father did not seem to have the knack ofgetting along in the world, and he moved to America in the hope ofbettering his condition. He did not better it. My father died ten yearsago, a prematurely broken down man, and my mother and I struggled alongas best we could until she died two years ago. My grandfather returnedher letter unopened when mother wrote to him ten years ago, although theletter had a black border around it. When I think of her I find it hardto forgive him, so I suppose some of his nature has been transmitted tome. "

"Find it hard? Katherine, if you were not an angel you would find itimpossible. "

"Well, there is nothing more to tell, or at least, not much. I thoughtyou should know this. I intended to tell you that last day on shipboard, but it seemed to me that here was where it should be told--among thehills and valleys that she saw when she was my age. "

"Katherine, my dear, do not think about it any more than you can help. It will only uselessly depress you. Here is a man coming. Let us findout now whether we have lost our way or not. "

They had. 

Even after that they managed to get up some wrong lanes and byways, andtook several wrong turnings; but by means of inquiry from every one theymet, they succeeded at last in reaching the place they were in searchof. 

There was an old and grey porter's lodge, and an old and grey gateway, with two tall, moss-grown stone pillars, and an iron gate between them. On the top of the pillars were crumbled stone shields, seemingly held inplace by a lion on each pillar. 

"Is this Holmwood House?" asked Morris of the old and grey man who cameout of the porter's lodge. 

"Yes, sir, it be, " replied the man. 

"Are visitors permitted to see the house and the grounds?"

"No, they be'ant, " was the answer. "Visitors were allowed on Saturdaysin the old Squire's time, but since he died they tell me the estate isin the courts, and we have orders from the London lawyers to let nobodyin. "

"I can make it worth your while, " said George, feeling in his vestpocket; "this lady would like to see the house. "

The old man shook his head, even although George showed him a gold piecebetween his finger and thumb. Morris was astonished at this, for he hadthe mistaken belief which all Americans have, that a tip in Europe, ifit is only large enough, will accomplish anything. 

"I think perhaps I can get permission, " said Katherine, "if you will letme talk a while to the old man. "

"All right. Go ahead, " said George. "I believe you could wheedle anybodyinto doing what he shouldn't do. "

"Now, after saying that, I shall not allow you to listen. I shall stepdown and talk with him a moment and you can drive on for a littledistance, and come back. "

"Oh, that's all right, " said George, "I know how it is. You don't wantto give away the secret of your power. Be careful, now, in steppingdown. This is not an American buggy, " but before he had finished thewarning, Katherine had jumped lightly on the gravel, and stood waitingfor him to drive on. When he came back he found the iron gates open. 

"I shall not get in again, " she said. "You may leave the pony with thisman, George, he will take care of it. We can walk up the avenue to thehouse. "

After a short walk under the spreading old oaks they came in sightof the house, which was of red brick and of the Elizabethan style ofarchitecture. 

"I am rather disappointed with that, " said George, "I always thought oldEnglish homesteads were of stone. "

"Well, this one at least is of brick, and I imagine you will find agreat many of them are of the same material. "

They met with further opposition from the housekeeper who came to thedoor which the servant had opened after the bell was rung. 

She would allow nobody in the house, she said. As for Giles, if heallowed people on the grounds that was his own look-out, but she hadbeen forbidden by the lawyers to allow anybody in the house, and she hadlet nobody in, and she wasn't going to let anybody in. 

"Shall I offer her a tip?" asked George, in a whisper. 

"No, don't do that. "

"You can't wheedle her like you did the old man, you know. A woman maydo a great deal with a man, but when she meets another woman she meetsher match. You women know each other, you know. "

Meanwhile the housekeeper, who had been about to shut the door, seemedto pause and regard the young lady with a good deal of curiosity. Herattention had before that time been taken up with the gentleman. 

"Well, I shall walk to the end of the terrace, and give you a chanceto try your wiles. But I am ready to bet ten dollars that you don'tsucceed. "

"I'll take you, " answered the young lady. 

"Yes, you said you would that night on the steamer. "

"Oh, that's a very good way of getting out of a hopeless bet. "

"I am ready to make the bet all right enough, but I know you haven't aten-dollar bill about you. "

"Well, that is very true, for I have changed all my money to Englishcurrency; but I am willing to bet its equivalent. "

Morris walked to the end of the terrace. When he got back he found thatthe door of the house was as wide open as the gates of the park hadbeen. 

"There is something uncanny about all this, " he said. "I am justbeginning to see that you have a most dangerous power of fascination. Icould understand it with old Giles, but I must admit that I thought thestern housekeeper would--"

"My dear George, " interrupted Katherine, "almost anything can beaccomplished with people, if you only go about it the right way. "

"Now, what is there to be seen in this house?"

"All that there is to be seen about any old English house. I thought, perhaps, you might he interested in it. "

"Oh, I am. But I mean, isn't there any notable things? For instance, Iwas in Haddon Hall once, and they showed me the back stairway where afair lady had eloped with her lover. Have they anything of that kind toshow here?"

Miss Earle was silent for a few moments. "Yes, " she said, "I am afraidthey have. "

"Afraid? Why, that is perfectly delightful. Did the young lady of thehouse elope with her lover?"

"Oh, don't talk in that way, George, " she said. "Please don't. "

"Well, I won't, if you say so. I admit those little episodes generallyturn out badly. Still you must acknowledge that they add a greatinterest to an old house of the Elizabethan age like this?"

Miss Earle was silent. They had, by this time, gone up the polishedstairway, which was dimly lighted by a large window of stained glass. 

"Here we are in the portrait hall, " said Miss Earle. "There is a picturehere that I have never seen, although I have heard of it, and I want tosee it. Where is it?" she asked, turning to the housekeeper, who hadbeen following them up the stairs. 

"This way, my lady, " answered the housekeeper, as she brought thembefore a painting completely concealed by a dark covering of cloth. 

"Why is it covered in that way? To keep the dust from it?"

The housekeeper hesitated for a moment; then she said--

"The old Squire, my lady, put that on when she left, and it has neverbeen taken off since. "

"Then take it off at once, " demanded Katherine Earle, in a tone thatastonished Morris. 

The housekeeper, who was too dignified to take down the coveringherself, went to find the servant, but Miss Earle, with a gesture ofimpatience, grasped the cloth and tore it from its place, revealing thefull-length portrait of a young lady. 

Morris looked at the portrait in astonishment, and then at the girl byhis side. 

"Why, Katherine, " he cried, "it is your picture!"

The young lady was standing with her hands tightly clenched and her lipsquivering with nervous excitement. There were tears in her eyes, and shedid not answer her lover for a moment; then she said--

"No, it is not my picture. This is a portrait of my mother. "

MRS. TREMAIN

 "And Woman, wit a flaming torch Sings heedless, in a powder-- Her careless smiles they warp and scorch Man's heart, as fire the pine Cuts keener than the thrust of lance Her glance"

The trouble about this story is that it really has no ending. Takingan ocean voyage is something like picking up an interesting novel, andreading a chapter in the middle of it. The passenger on a big steamergets glimpses of other people's lives, but he doesn't know what thebeginning was, nor what the ending will be. 

The last time I saw Mrs. Tremain she was looking over her shoulder andsmiling at Glendenning as she walked up the gangway plank at Liverpool, hanging affectionately on the arm of her husband. I said to myself atthe time, "You silly little handsome idiot, Lord only knows what troubleyou will cause before flirting has lost its charm for you. " PersonallyI would like to have shoved Glendenning off the gangway plank into thedark Mersey; but that would have been against the laws of the country onwhich we were then landing. 

Mrs. Tremain was a woman whom other women did not like, and whom mendid. Glendenning was a man that the average man detested, but he was agreat favourite with the ladies. 

I shall never forget the sensation Mrs. Tremain caused when she firstentered the saloon of our steamer. I wish I were able to describeaccurately just how she was dressed; for her dress, of course, had agreat deal to do with her appearance, notwithstanding the fact thatshe was one of the loveliest women I ever saw in my life. But it wouldrequire a woman to describe her dress with accuracy, and I am afraid anywoman who was on board the steamer that trip would decline to helpme. Women were in the habit of sniffing when Mrs. Tremain's name wasmentioned. Much can be expressed by a woman's sniff. All that I cansay about Mrs. Tremain's dress is that it was of some dark material, brightly shot with threads of gold, and that she had looped in some wayover her shoulders and around her waist a very startlingly colouredsilken scarf, while over her hair was thrown a black lace arrangementthat reached down nearly to her feet, giving her a half-Spanishappearance. A military-looking gentleman, at least twice her age, waswalking beside her. He was as grave and sober as she appeared light andfrivolous, and she walked by his side with a peculiar elastic step, thatseemed hardly to touch the carpet, laughing and talking to him just asif fifty pair of eyes were not riveted upon her as the pair entered. Everybody thought her a Spanish woman; but, as it turned out afterward, she was of Spanish-Mexican-American origin, and whatever beauty thereis in those three nationalities seemed to be blended in some subtle, perfectly indescribable way in the face and figure of Mrs. Tremain. 

The grave military-looking gentleman at her side was Captain Tremain, her husband, although in reality he was old enough to be her father. Hewas a captain in the United States army, and had been stationed at somefort near the Mexican border where he met the young girl whom he madehis wife. She had seen absolutely nothing of the world, and they werenow on their wedding trip to Europe, the first holiday he had taken formany a year. 

In an incredibly short space of time Mrs. Tremain was the acknowledgedbelle of the ship. She could not have been more than nineteen or twentyyears of age, yet she was as perfectly at her ease, and as thoroughly alady as if she had been accustomed to palaces and castles for years. Itwas astonishing to see how naturally she took to it. She had lived allher life in a rough village in the wilds of the South-West, yet she hadthe bearing of a duchess or a queen. 

The second day out she walked the deck with the captain, which, aseverybody knows, is a very great honour. She always had a crowd of menaround her, and apparently did not care the snap of her pretty fingerswhether a woman on board spoke to her or not. Her husband was one ofthose slow-going, sterling men whom you meet now and again, with nononsense about him, and with a perfect trust in his young wife. He wasdelighted to see her enjoying her voyage so well, and proud of theuniversal court that was paid to her. It was quite evident to everybodyon board but himself that Mrs. Tremain was a born coquette, and the wayshe could use those dark, languishing, Spanish-Mexican eyes of hers wasa lesson to flirts all the world over. It didn't, apparently, so muchmatter as long as her smiles were distributed pretty evenly over thewhole masculine portion of the ship. But by-and-by things began tosimmer down until the smiles were concentrated on the most utterlyobjectionable man on board--Glendenning. She walked the deck with him, she sat in cozy corners of the saloon with him, when there were not manypeople there, and at night they placed their chairs in a little cornerof the deck where the electric light did not shine. One by one the otheradmirers dropped off, and left her almost entirely to Glendenning. 

Of all those of us who were deserted by Mrs. Tremain none took it sohard as young Howard of Brooklyn. I liked Howard, for he was so palpablyand irretrievably young, through no fault of his own, and so thoroughlyashamed of it. He wished to be considered a man of the world, and he hadgrave opinions on great questions, and his opinions were ever so muchmore settled and firm than those of us older people. 

Young Howard confided a good deal in me, and even went so far one timeas to ask if I thought he appeared very young, and if I would believe hewas really as old as he stated. 

I told him frankly I had taken him to be a very much older man thanthat, and the only thing about him I didn't like was a certain cynicismand knowledge of the world which didn't look well in a man who ought tobe thinking about the serious things of life. After this young Howardconfided in me even more than before. He said that he didn't care forMrs. Tremain in that sort of way at all. She was simply an innocentchild, with no knowledge of the world whatever, such as he and Ipossessed. Her husband--and in this I quite agreed with him--had twobad qualities: in the first place he was too easy going at the present, and in the second place he was one of those quiet men who would dosomething terrible if once he were aroused. 

One day, as young Howard and I walked the deck together, he burst outwith this extraordinary sentiment--

"All women, " he said, "are canting hypocrites. "

"When a man says that, " I answered, "he means some particular woman. What woman have you in your eye, Howard?"

"No, I mean _all_ women. All the women on board this boat, forinstance. "

"Except one, of course, " I said. 

"Yes, " he answered, "except one. Look at the generality of women, " hecried bitterly; "especially those who are what they call philanthropicand good. They will fuss and mourn over some drunken wretch who cannotbe reclaimed, and would be no use if he could, and they will spend theirtime and sympathy over some creature bedraggled in the slums, whose onlyhope can be death, and that as soon as possible, yet not one of themwill lift a finger to save a fellow creature from going over the brinkof ruin. They will turn their noses in the air when a word from themwould do some good, and then they will spend their time fussing andweeping over somebody that nothing on earth can help. "

"Now, Howard, " I said, "that's your cynicism which I've so oftendeplored. Come down to plain language, and tell me what you mean?"

"Look at the women on board this steamer, " he cried indignantly. "There's pretty little Mrs. Tremain, who seems to have become fascinatedby that scoundrel Glendenning. Any person can see what kind of a man heis--any one but an innocent child, such as Mrs. Tremain is. Now, no mancan help. What she needs is some good kindly woman to take her by thehand and give her a word of warning. Is there a woman on board of thissteamer who will do it? Not one. They see as plainly as any one else howthings are drifting; but it takes a man who has murdered his wife to getsympathy and flowers from the modern so-called lady. "

"Didn't you ever hear of the man, Howard, who made a large sum of money, I forget at the moment exactly how much, by minding his own business?"

"Oh yes, it's all very well to talk like that; but I would like to pitchGlendenning overboard. "

"I admit that it would be a desirable thing to do, but if anybody isto do it, it is Captain Tremain and not you. Are you a married man, Howard?"

"No, " answered Howard, evidently very much flattered by the question. 

"Well, you see, a person never can tell on board ship; but, if youhappen to be, it seems to me that you wouldn't care for any outsiderto interfere in a matter such as we are discussing. At any rate Mrs. Tremain is a married woman, and I can't see what interest you shouldhave in her. Take my advice and leave her alone, and if you want tostart a reforming crusade among women, try to convert the rest of theladies of the ship to be more charitable and speak the proper word intime. "

"You may sneer as much as you like, " answered young Howard, "but I willtell you what I am going to do. 'Two is company, and three is none';I'm going to make the third, as far as Mrs. Tremain and Glendenning areconcerned. "

"Supposing she objects to that?"

"Very likely she will; I don't care. The voyage lasts only a few dayslonger, and I am going to make the third party at any _tête-à-tête_. "

"Dangerous business, Howard; first thing, you know, Glendenning will hewanting to throw _you_ overboard. "

"I would like to see him try it, " said the young fellow, clenching hisfist. 

And young Howard was as good as his word. It was very interesting toan onlooker to see the way the different parties took it. Mrs. Tremainseemed to be partly amused with the boy, and think it all rather goodfun. Glendenning scowled somewhat, and tried to be silent; but, findingthat made no particular difference, began to make allusions to theextreme youth of young Howard, and seemed to try to provoke him, whichlaudable intention, to young Howard's great credit, did not succeed. 

One evening I came down the forward narrow staircase, that leads to thelong corridor running from the saloon, and met, under the electric lightat the foot, Mrs. Tremain, young Howard, and Glendenning. They wereevidently about to ascend the stairway; but, seeing me come down, theypaused, and I stopped for a moment to have a chat with them, and see howthings were going on. 

Glendenning said, addressing me, "Don't you think it's time for childrento be in bed?"

"If you mean me, " I answered, "I am just on my way there. "

Mrs. Tremain and young Howard laughed, and Glendenning after thatignored both Howard and myself. 

He said to Mrs. Tremain, "I never noticed you wearing that ring before. It is a very strange ornament. "

"Yes, " answered Mrs. Tremain, turning it round and round. "This is aMexican charmed ring. There is a secret about it, see if you can findit out. " And with that she pulled off the ring, and handed it toGlendenning. 

"You ought to give it to him as a keepsake, " said young Howard, aggressively. "The ring, I notice, is a couple of snakes twistedtogether. "

"Little boys, " said Mrs. Tremain, laughing, "shouldn't make remarks likethat. They lead to trouble. "

Young Howard flushed angrily as Mrs. Tremain said this. He did not seemto mind it when Glendenning accused him of his youth, but he didn't likeit coming from her. 

Meanwhile Glendenning was examining the ring, and suddenly it came apartin his hand. The coils of the snake were still linked together, butinstead of composing one solid ring they could now be spread severalinches apart like the links of a golden chain. Mrs. Tremain turned pale, and gave a little shriek, as she saw this. 

"Put it together again, " she cried; "put it together quickly. "

"What is the matter?" said Glendenning, looking up at her. She wasstanding two or three steps above him; Glendenning was at the bottom ofthe stair; young Howard stood on the same step as Mrs. Tremain, and Iwas a step or two above them. 

"Put it together, " cried Mrs. Tremain again. "I am trying to, " saidGlendenning, "is there a spring somewhere?"

"Oh, I cannot tell you, " she answered, nervously clasping and unclaspingher hands; "but if you do not put it together without help, that meansvery great ill-luck for both you and me. "

"Does it?" said Glendenning, looking up at her with a peculiar glance, quite ignoring our presence. 

"Yes, it does, " she said; "try your best to put that ring togetheras you found it. " It was quite evident that Mrs. Tremain had all thesuperstition of Mexico. 

Glendenning fumbled with the ring one way and another, and finally said, "I cannot put it together. "

"Let me try, " said young Howard. 

"No, no, that will do no good. " Saying which Mrs. Tremain snatched thelinks from Glendenning, slipped them into one ring again, put it on herfinger, and dashed quickly up the stairs without saying a word of goodnight to any of us. 

Glendenning was about to proceed up the stair after her, when youngHoward very ostentatiously placed himself directly in his path. Glendenning seemed to hesitate for a moment, then thought better of it, turned on his heel and walked down the passage towards the saloon. 

"Look here, Howard, " I said, "you are going to get yourself intotrouble. There's sure to be a fuss on board this steamer before we reachLiverpool. "

"I wouldn't be at all surprised, " answered young Howard. 

"Well, do you think it will be quite fair to Mrs. Tremain?"

"Oh, I shan't bring her name into the matter. "

"The trouble will be to keep her name out. It may not be in your powerto do that. A person who interferes in other people's affairs must do sowith tact and caution. "

Young Howard looked up at me with a trace of resentment in his face. "Aren't you interfering now?" he said. 

"You are quite right, I am. Good night. " And I went up the stairway. Howard shouted after me, but I did not see him again that night. 

Next day we were nearing Queenstown, and, as I had letters to write, Isaw nothing of young Howard till the evening. I found him unreasonablycontrite for what he had said to me the night before; and when I toldhim he had merely spoken the truth, and was quite justified in doing so, he seemed more miserable than ever. 

"Come, " he said, "let us have a walk on the deck. "

It was between nine and ten o'clock; and when we got out on the deck, Isaid to him, "Without wishing to interfere any further--"

"Now, don't say that, " he cried; "it is cruel. "

"Well, I merely wanted to know where your two charges are. "

"I don't know, " he answered, in a husky whisper; "they are not in theusual corner to-night, and I don't know where they are. "

"She is probably with her husband, " I suggested. 

"No, he is down in the saloon reading. "

As young Howard was somewhat prone to get emphatic when he began to talkupon this subject, and as there was always a danger of other peopleoverhearing what he said, I drew him away to a more secluded part of theship. On this particular boat there was a wheelhouse aft unused, andgenerally filled up with old steamer chairs. A narrow passage led aroundthis at the curving stern, seldom used by promenaders because of certainobstructions which, in the dark, were apt to trip a person up. Chains orsomething went from this wheelhouse to the sides of the ship, and, beingcovered up by boxes of plank, made this part of the deck hard to travelon in the dark. As we went around this narrow passage young Howard wasthe first to stop. He clutched my arm, but said nothing. There in thedark was the faint outline of two persons, with their backs towards us, leaning over the stern of the ship. The vibration at this part of theboat, from the throbbing of the screw, made it impossible for them tohear our approach. They doubtless thought they were completely in thedark; but they were deluded in that idea, because the turmoil of thewater left a brilliant phosphorescent belt far in the rear of the ship, and against this bright, faintly yellow luminous track their forms weredistinctly outlined. It needed no second glance to see that the two wereGlendenning and Mrs. Tremain. Her head rested on his shoulder, and hisarm was around her waist. 

"Let us get back, " I said in a whisper; and, somewhat to my surprise, young Howard turned back with me. I felt his hand trembling on my arm, but he said nothing. Before we could say a word to each other a saddenand unexpected complication arose. We met Captain Tremain, with a shawlon his arm, coming towards us. 

"Good evening, captain, " I said; "have a turn on the deck with us?"

"No, thanks, " he replied, "I am looking for my wife. I want to give herthis shawl to put over her shoulders. She is not accustomed to suchchilly weather as we are now running into, and I am afraid she may takecold. "

All this time young Howard stood looking at him with a startledexpression in his eyes, and his lower jaw dropped. I was afraid CaptainTremain would see him, and wonder what was the matter with the boy. Itried to bring him to himself by stamping my heel--not too gently--onhis toes, but he turned his face in the semi-darkness toward me withoutchanging its expression. The one idea that had taken possession of mymind was that Captain Tremain must not he allowed to go further aft thanhe was, and I tried by looks and nudges to tell young Howard to go backand give her warning, but the boy seemed to be completely dazed withthe unexpected horror of the situation. To have this calm, stern, unsuspecting man come suddenly upon what we had seen at the stern of theboat was simply appalling to think of. He certainly would have killedGlendenning where he stood, and very likely Mrs. Tremain as well. AsCaptain Tremain essayed to pass us I collected my wits as well as Icould, and said--

"Oh, by the way, captain, I wanted to speak to you about Mexico. Doyou--do you--think that it is a good--er--place for investment?"

"Well, " said Captain Tremain, pausing, "I am not so sure about that. Yousee, their Government is so very unstable. The country itself is richenough in mineral wealth, if that is what you mean. " All the whileHoward stood there with his mouth agape, and I felt like shoving my fistinto it. 

"Here, Howard, " I said, "I want to speak to Captain Tremain for amoment. Take this shawl and find Mrs. Tremain, and give it to her. "Saying this, I took the shawl from the captain's arm and threw it atyoung Howard. He appeared then to realise, for the first time, what wasexpected of him, and, giving me a grateful look, disappeared toward thestern. 

"What I wanted more particularly to know about Mexico, " I said to thecaptain, who made no objection to this move, "was whether there would beany more--well, likely to have trouble--whether we would have troublewith them in a military way, you know--that's more in your line. "

"Oh, I think not, " said the captain. "Of course, on the boundary wherewe were, there was always more or less trouble with border ruffians, sometimes on one side of the line and sometimes on the other. There is apossibility always that complications may arise from that sort of thing. Our officers might go over into the Mexican territory and seize adesperado there, or they might come over into ours. Still, I don't thinkanything will happen to bring on a war such as we had once or twice withMexico. "

At this moment I was appalled to hear Glendenning's voice ring outabove the noise of the vibration of the vessel. 

"What do you mean by that, you scoundrel, " he said. 

"Hallo, " exclaimed the captain, "there seems to be a row back there. Iwonder what it is?"

"Oh, nothing serious, I imagine. Probably some steerage passengers havecome on the cabin deck. I heard them having a row with some one to-dayon that score. Let's walk away from it. "

The captain took my arm, and we strolled along the deck while he gaveme a great deal of valuable information about Mexico and the state ofthings along the border line, which I regret to say I cannot remember aword of. The impressions of a man who has been on the spot are alwaysworth hearing, but my ears were strained to catch a repetition of theangry cry I had heard, or the continuation of the quarrel which itcertainly seemed to be the beginning of. As we came up the deck againwe met young Howard with the shawl still on his arm and Mrs. Tremainwalking beside him. She was laughing in a somewhat hysterical manner, and his face was as pale as ashes with a drawn look about the corners ofhis lips, but the captain's eyes were only on his wife. 

"Why don't you put on the shawl, my dear?" he said to heraffectionately. "The shawl?" she answered. Then, seeing it on youngHoward's arm, she laughed, and said, "He never offered it to me. "

Young Howard made haste to place the shawl on her shoulders, which shearranged around herself in a very coquettish and charming way. Then shetook her husband's arm. 

"Good night, " she said to me; "good night, and thanks, Mr. Howard. "

"Good night, " said the captain; "I will tell you more about that mineto-morrow. "

We watched them disappear towards the companion-way. I drew young Howardtowards the side of the boat. 

"What happened?" I asked eagerly. "Did you have trouble?"

"Very nearly, I made a slip of the tongue. I called her Mrs. Glendenning. "

"You called her _what_?"

"I said, 'Mrs. Glendenning, your husband is looking for you. ' I had comeright up behind them, and they hadn't heard me, and of course both werevery much startled. Glendenning turned round and shouted, 'What do youmean by that, you scoundrel?' and caught me by the throat. She instantlysprang between us, pushing him toward the stern of the boat, and meagainst the wheelhouse. "'Hush, hush, ' she whispered; 'you mean, Mr. Howard, that my husband is there, do you not?'

"'Yes, ' I answered, 'and he will be here in a moment unless you comewith me. ' With that she said 'Good night, Mr. Glendenning, ' and tookmy arm, and he, like a thief, slunk away round the other side of thewheelhouse. I was very much agitated. I suppose I acted like a fool whenwe met the captain, didn't I?"

"You did, " I answered; "go on. "

"Well, Mrs. Tremain saw that, and she laughed at me, although I couldsee she was rather disturbed herself. "

Some time that night we touched at Queenstown, and next evening we werein Liverpool. When the inevitable explosion came, I have no meansof knowing, and this, as I have said before, is a story without aconclusion. 

Mrs. Tremain the next day was as bright and jolly as ever, and the lasttime I saw her, she was smiling over her shoulder at Glendenning, andnot paying the slightest attention to either her husband on whose armshe hung, or to young Howard, who was hovering near. 

SHARE AND SHARE ALIKE. 

 "The quick must haste to vengeance taste, For time is on his head; But he can wait at the door of fate, Though the stay be long and the hour be late-- The dead. "

Melville Hardlock stood in the centre of the room with his feet wideapart and his hands in his trousers pockets, a characteristic attitudeof his. He gave a quick glance at the door, and saw with relief thatthe key was in the lock, and that the bolt prevented anybody coming inunexpectedly. Then he gazed once more at the body of his friend, whichlay in such a helpless-looking attitude upon the floor. He looked at thebody with a feeling of mild curiosity, and wondered what there was aboutthe lines of the figure on the floor that so certainly betokened deathrather than sleep, even though the face was turned away from him. Hethought, perhaps, it might be the hand with its back to the floor andits palm towards the ceiling; there was a certain look of hopelessnessabout that. He resolved to investigate the subject some time when he hadleisure. Then his thoughts turned towards the subject of murder. It wasso easy to kill, he felt no pride in having been able to accomplish thatmuch. But it was not everybody who could escape the consequences of hiscrime. It required an acute brain to plan after events so that shrewddetectives would be baffled. There was a complacent conceit aboutMelville Hardlock, which was as much a part of him as his intenseselfishness, and this conceit led him to believe that the future path hehad outlined for himself would not be followed by justice. 

With a sigh Melville suddenly seemed to realise that while there was nonecessity for undue haste, yet it was not wise to be too leisurely insome things, so he took his hands from his pockets and drew to themiddle of the floor a large Saratoga trunk. He threw the heavy lid open, and in doing so showed that the trunk was empty. Picking up the body ofhis friend, which he was surprised to note was so heavy and troublesometo handle, he with some difficulty doubled it up so that it slipped intothe trunk. He piled on top of it some old coats, vests, newspapers, andother miscellaneous articles until the space above the body was filled. Then he pressed down the lid and locked it, fastening the catches ateach end. Two stout straps were now placed around the trunk and firmlybuckled after he had drawn them as tight as possible. Finally he dampedthe gum side of a paper label, and when he had pasted it on the end ofthe trunk, it showed the words in red letters, "S. S. _Platonic_, cabin, wanted. " This done, Melville threw open the window to allow the fumesof chloroform to dissipate themselves in the outside air. He placed aclosed, packed and labelled portmanteau beside the trunk, and a valisebeside that again, which, with a couple of handbags, made up hisluggage. Then he unlocked the door, threw back the bolt, and, havingturned the key again from the outside, strode down the thickly-carpetedstairs of the hotel into the large pillared and marble-floored vestibulewhere the clerk's office was. Strolling up to the counter behindwhich stood the clerk of the hotel, he shoved his key across to thatfunctionary, who placed it in the pigeon-hole marked by the number ofhis room. 

"Did my friend leave for the West last night, do you know?"

"Yes, " answered the clerk, "he paid his bill and left. Haven't you seenhim since?"

"No, " replied Hardlock. 

"Well, he'll be disappointed about that, because he told me he expectedto see you before he left, and would call up at your room later. Isuppose he didn't have time. By the way, he said you were going back toEngland to-morrow. Is that so?"

"Yes, I sail on the _Platonic_. I suppose I can have my luggage sent tothe steamer from here without further trouble?"

"Oh, certainly, " answered the clerk; "how many pieces are there? It willbe fifty cents each. "

"Very well; just put that down in my bill with the rest of the expenses, and let me have it to-night. I will settle when I come in. Five piecesof luggage altogether. "

"Very good. You'll have breakfast to-morrow, I suppose?"

"Yes, the boat does not leave till nine o'clock. "

"Very well; better call you about seven, Mr. Hardlock. Will you have acarriage?"

"No, I shall walk down to the boat. You will be sure, of course, to havemy things there in time. "

"Oh, no fear of that. They will be on the steamer by half-past eight. "

"Thank you. "

As Mr. Hardlock walked down to the boat next morning he thought he haddone rather a clever thing in sending his trunk in the ordinary way tothe steamer. "Most people, " he said to himself, "would have made themistake of being too careful about it. It goes along in the ordinarycourse of business. If anything should go wrong it will seem incrediblethat a sane man would send such a package in an ordinary express waggonto be dumped about, as they do dump luggage about in New York. "

He stood by the gangway on the steamer watching the trunks, valises, andportmanteaus come on board. 

"Stop!" he cried to the man, "that is not to go down in the hold; I wantit. Don't you see it's marked 'wanted?'"

"It is very large, sir, " said the man; "it will fill up a state-room byitself. "

"I have the captain's room, " was the answer. 

So the man flung the trunk down on the deck with a crash that made eventhe cool Mr. Hardlock shudder. 

"Did you say you had the captain's room, sir?" asked the stewardstanding near. 

"Yes. "

"Then I am your bedroom steward, " was the answer; "I will see that thetrunk is put in all right. "

The first day out was rainy but not rough; the second day was fair andthe sea smooth. The second night Hardlock remained in the smoking-roomuntil the last man had left. Then, when the lights were extinguished, hewent out on the upper deck, where his room was, and walked up and downsmoking his cigar. There was another man also walking the deck, and thered glow of his cigar, dim and bright alternately, shone in the darknesslike a glow-worm. 

Hardlock wished that he would turn in, whoever he was. Finally the manflung his cigar overboard and went down the stairway. Hartlock had nowthe dark deck to himself. He pushed open the door of his room and turnedout the electric light. It was only a few steps from his door to therail of the vessel high above the water. Dimly on the bridge he saw theshadowy figure of an officer walking back and forth. Hardlock lookedover the side at the phosphorescent glitter of the water which made theblack ocean seem blacker still. The sharp ring of the bell betokeningmidnight made Melville start as if a hand had touched him, and the quickbeating of his heart took some moments to subside. "I've been smokingtoo much to-day, " he said to himself. Then looking quickly up and downthe deck, he walked on tip toe to his room, took the trunk by its stoutleather handle and pulled it over the ledge in the doorway. There weresmall wheels at the bottom of the trunk, but although they made thepulling of it easy, they seemed to creak with appalling loudness. Herealised the fearful weight of the trunk as he lifted the end of it upon the rail. He balanced it there for a moment, and glanced sharplyaround him, but there was nothing to alarm him. In spite of his naturalcoolness, he felt a strange, haunting dread of some undefinabledisaster, a dread which had been completely absent from him at the timehe committed the murder. He shoved off the trunk before he had quiteintended to do so, and the next instant he nearly bit through his tongueto suppress a groan of agony. There passed half a dozen moments ofsupreme pain and fear before he realised what had happened. His wristhad caught in the strap handle of the trunk, and his shoulder wasdislocated. His right arm was stretched taut and helpless, like a ropeholding up the frightful and ever-increasing weight that hung betweenhim and the sea. His breast was pressed against the rail and his lefthand gripped the iron stanchion to keep himself from going over. He feltthat his feet were slipping, and he set his teeth and gripped the ironwith a grasp that was itself like iron. He hoped the trunk would slipfrom his useless wrist, but it rested against the side of the vessel, and the longer it hung the more it pressed the hard strap handle intohis nerveless flesh. He had realised from the first that he dare not cryfor help, and his breath came hard through his clenched teeth as theweight grew heavier and heavier. Then, with his eyes strained by thefearful pressure, and perhaps dazzled by the glittering phosphorescencerunning so swiftly by the side of the steamer far below, he seemed tosee from out the trunk something in the form and semblance of his deadfriend quivering like summer heat below him. Sometimes it was theshimmering phosphorescence, then again it was the wraith hovering overthe trunk. Hardlock, in spite of his agony, wondered which it reallywas; but he wondered no longer when it spoke to him. 

"Old Friend, " it said, "you remember our compact when we left England. It was to be 'share and share alike, ' my boy--'share and share alike. ' Ihave had my share. Come!"

Then on the still night air came the belated cry for help, but it wasafter the foot had slipped and the hand had been wrenched from the ironstanchion. 

AN INTERNATIONAL ROW

 "A simple child That lightly draws its breath, And feels its life in every limb, What should it know of--" kicking up a row

(NOTE. --Only the last four words of the above poem are claimed asoriginal. )

"Then America declared war on England. "--_History of_ 1812

Lady, not feeling particularly well, reclining in a steamer chair, covered up with rags. Little girl beside her, who wants to know. Gentleman in an adjoining steamer chair. The little girl begins tospeak. 

"And do you have to pay to go in, mamma?"

"Yes, dear. "

"How much do you have to pay? As much as at a theatre?"

"Oh, you need not pay anything particular--no set sum, you know. You payjust what you can afford. "

"Then it's like a collection at church, mamma?"

"Yes, dear. "

"And does the captain get the money, mamma?"

"No, dear; the money goes to the poor orphans, I think. "

"Where are the orphans, mamma?"

"I don't know, dear, I think they are in Liverpool. "

"Whose orphans are they, mamma?"

"They are the orphans of sailors, dear. "

"What kind of sailors, mamma?"

"British sailors, darling. "

"Aren't there any sailors in America, mamma?"

"Oh yes, dear, lots of them. "

"And do they have any orphans?"

"Yes, dear, I suppose there are orphans there too. "

"And don't they get any of the money, mamma?"

"I am sure I do not know, dear. By the way, Mr. Daveling, how is that?Do they give any of the money to American orphans?"

"I believe not, madam. Subscriptions at concerts given on board Britishsteamers are of course donated entirely to the Seamen's Hospital orOrphanage of Liverpool. "

"Well, that doesn't seem to be quite fair, does it? A great deal of themoney is subscribed by Americans. "

"Yes, madam, that is perfectly true. "

"I should think that ten Americans cross on these lines for every oneEnglishman. "

"I am sure I do not know, madam, what the proportion is. The Americansare great travellers, so are the English too, for that matter. "

"Yes; but I saw in one of the papers that this year alone over a hundredthousand persons had taken their passage from New York to England. Itseems to me, that as all of them contribute to the receipts of theconcerts, some sort of a division should be made. "

"Oh, I have no doubt if the case were presented to the captain, hewould be quite willing to have part of the proceeds at least go to someAmerican seamen's charity. "

"I think that would be only fair. "

Two young ladies, arm in arm, approach, and ask Mrs. Pengo how she isfeeling to-day. 

Mrs. Pengo replies that she doesn't suppose she will feel any better aslong as this rolling of the ship continues. 

They claim, standing there, endeavouring to keep as perpendicular aspossible, that the rolling is something simply awful. 

Then the lady says to them, "Do you know, girls, that all the moneysubscribed at the concerts goes to England?"

"Why, no; I thought it went to some charity. "

"Oh, it _does_ go to a charity. It goes to the Liverpool Seamen'sHospital. "

"Well, isn't that all right?"

"Yes, it's all right enough; but, as Sadie was just suggesting now, itdoesn't seem quite fair, when there are orphans of sailors belonging toAmerica, and as long as such large sums are subscribed by Americans, that the money should not be divided and part of it at least given to anAmerican charity. "

"Why, that seems perfectly fair, doesn't it, Mr. Daveling?"

"Yes, it is perfectly fair. I was just suggesting that perhaps if thestate of things was presented to the captain, he would doubtless give aportion at least of the proceeds to an American Seamen's Home--if suchan institution exists. "

"Then, " remarked the other girl, "I propose we form a committee, andinterview the captain. I think that if Americans subscribe the bulk ofthe money, which they certainly do, they should have a voice in thedisposal of it. "

This was agreed to on all hands, and so began one of the biggest rowsthat ever occurred on board an Atlantic liner. Possibly, if the captainhad had any tact, and if he had not been so thoroughly impressed withhis own tremendous importance, what happened later on would not havehappened. 

The lady in the steamer chair took little part in the matter, in fact itwas not at that time assumed to be of any importance whatever; but thetwo young American girls were enthusiastic, and they spoke to severalof the passengers about it, both American and English. The Englishpassengers all recognised the justice of the proposed plan, so acommittee of five young ladies, and one young gentleman as spokesman, waited upon the captain. The young ladies at first had asked the doctorof the ship to be the spokesman; but when the doctor heard what theproposal was, he looked somewhat alarmed, and stroked his moustachethoughtfully. 

"I don't know about that, " he said; "it is a little unusual. The moneyhas always gone to the Liverpool Seamen's Hospital, and--well, you see, we are a conservative people. We do a thing in one way for a number ofyears, and then keep on doing it because we have always done it in thatway. "

"Yes, " burst out one of the young ladies, "that is no reason why anunjust thing should be perpetuated. Merely because a wrong has been doneis no reason why it should be done again. "

"True, " said the doctor, "true, " for he did not wish to fall out withthe young lady, who was very pretty; "but, you see, in England we thinka great deal of precedent. "

And so the result of it all was that the doctor demurred at going to seethe captain in relation to the matter. He said it wouldn't be the thing, as he was an official, and that it would be better to get one of thepassengers. 

I was not present at the interview, and of course know only what wastold me by those who were there. It seems that the captain was highlyoffended at being approached on such a subject at all. A captain of anocean liner, as I have endeavoured to show, is a very great personageindeed. And sometimes I imagine the passengers are not fully aware ofthis fact, or at least they do not show it as plainly as they ought to. Anyhow, the committee thought the captain had been exceedingly gruffwith them, as well as just a trifle impolite. He told them that themoney from the concerts had always gone to the Liverpool Seamen'sHospital, and always would while he was commanding a ship. He seemed toinfer that the permission given them to hold a concert on board the shipwas a very great concession, and that people should be thankful for theprivilege of contributing to such a worthy object. 

So, beginning with the little girl who wanted to know, and ending withthe captain who commanded the ship, the conflagration was started. 

Such is British deference to authority that, as soon as the captain'sdecision was known, those who had hitherto shown an open mind on thesubject, and even those who had expressed themselves as favouring thedividing of the money, claimed that the captain's dictum had settled thematter. Then it was that every passenger had to declare himself. "Thosewho are not with us, " said the young women, "are against us. " The shipwas almost immediately divided into two camps. It was determined to forma committee of Americans to take the money received from the secondconcert; for it was soon resolved to hold two concerts, one for theAmerican Seamen's Orphans' Home and the other for that at Liverpool. 

One comical thing about the row was, that nobody on board knew whetheran American Seamen's Orphans' Home existed or not. When this problemwas placed before the committee of young people, they pooh-poohed thematter. They said it didn't make any difference at all; if there was noSeamen's Hospital in America, it was quite time there should be one; andso they proposed that the money should be given to the future hospital, if it did not already exist. 

When everything was prepared for the second concert there came a boltfrom the blue. It was rumoured round the ship that the captain hadrefused his permission for the second concert to be held. The Americanmen, who had up to date looked with a certain amused indifference onthe efforts of the ladies, now rallied and held a meeting in thesmoking-room. Every one felt that a crisis had come, and that the timeto let loose the dogs of war--sea-dogs in this instance--had arrived. Acommittee was appointed to wait upon the captain next day. The followingmorning the excitement was at its highest pitch. It was not safe for anAmerican to be seen conversing with an Englishman, or _vice versá. _

Rumour had it at first--in fact all sorts of wild rumours were flyingaround the whole forenoon--that the captain refused to see thedelegation of gentlemen who had requested audience with him. Thisrumour, however, turned out to be incorrect. He received the delegationin his room with one or two of the officers standing beside him. Thespokesman said--

"Captain, we are informed that you have concluded not to grantpermission to the Americans to hold a concert in aid of the AmericanSeamen's Orphans' Home. We wish to know if this is true?"

"You have been correctly informed, " replied the captain. 

"We are sorry to hear that, " answered the spokesman. "Perhaps you willnot object to tell us on what grounds you have refused your permission?"

"Gentlemen, " said the captain, "I have received you in my room becauseyou requested an interview. I may say, however, that I am not in thehabit of giving reasons for anything I do, to the passengers who honourthis ship with their company. "

"Then, " said the spokesman, endeavouring to keep calm, but succeedingonly indifferently, "it is but right that we should tell you that weregard such a proceeding on your part as a high handed outrage; that wewill appeal against your decision to the owners of this steamship, andthat, unless an apology is tendered, we will never cross on this lineagain, and we will advise all our compatriots never to patronise a linewhere such injustice is allowed. "

"Might I ask you, " said the captain very suavely, "of what injustice youcomplain?"

"It seems to us, " said the spokesman, "that it is a very unjust thingto allow one class of passengers to hold a concert, and to refusepermission to another class to do the same thing. "

"If that is all you complain of, " said the captain, "I quite agree withyou. I think that would be an exceedingly unjust proceeding. "

"Is not that what you are about to do?"

"Not that I am aware of. "

"You have prohibited the American concert?"

"Certainly. But I have prohibited the English concert as well. "

The American delegates looked rather blankly at each other, and then thespokesman smiled. "Oh, well, " he said, "if you have prohibited both ofthem, I don't see that we have anything to grumble at. "

"Neither do I, " said the captain. 

The delegation then withdrew; and the passengers had the unusualpleasure of making one ocean voyage without having to attend thegenerally inevitable amateur concert. 

A LADIES MAN

 "Jest w'en we guess we've covered the trail So's no one can't foller, w'y then we fail W'en we feel safe hid. Nemesis, the cuss, Waltzes up with nary a warnin' nor fuss. Grins quiet like, and says, 'How d'y do, So glad we've met, I'm a-lookin' fer you'"

I do not wish to particularise any of the steamers on which theincidents given in this book occurred, so the boat of which I now writeI shall call _The Tub_. This does not sound very flattering to thesteamer, but I must say _The Tub_ was a comfortable old boat, aseverybody will testify who has ever taken a voyage in her. I know a veryrich man who can well afford to take the best room in the best steamerif he wants to, but his preference always is for a slow boat like _TheTub_. He says that if you are not in a hurry, a slow boat is preferableto one of the new fast liners, because you have more individualitythere, you get more attention, the officers are flattered by yourpreference for their ship, and you are not merely one of a great mob ofpassengers as in a crowded fast liner. The officers on a popular big andswift boat are prone to be a trifle snobbish. This is especially thecase on the particular liner which for the moment stands at the top--asteamer that has broken the record, and is considered the best boat inthe Atlantic service for the time being. If you get a word from thecaptain of such a boat you may consider yourself a peculiarly honouredindividual, and even the purser is apt to answer you very shortly, andmake you feel you are but a worm of the dust, even though you have paida very large price for your state-room. On _The Tub_ there was nothingof this. The officers were genial good fellows who admitted their boatwas not the fastest on the Atlantic, although at one time she had been;but if _The Tub_ never broke the record, on the other hand, she neverbroke a shaft, and so things were evened up. She wallowed her way acrossthe Atlantic in a leisurely manner, and there was no feverish anxietyamong the passengers when they reached Queenstown, to find whether therival boat had got in ahead of us or not. 

Everybody on board _The Tub_ knew that any vessel which started fromNew York the same day would reach Queenstown before us. In fact, a goodsmart sailing vessel, with a fair wind, might have made it lively forus in an ocean race. _The Tub_ was a broad slow boat, whose greatspeciality was freight, and her very broadness, which kept her frombeing a racer, even if her engines had had the power, made herparticularly comfortable in a storm. She rolled but little; and as thestate-rooms were large and airy, every passenger on board _The Tub_ wassure of a reasonably pleasant voyage. 

It was always amusing to hear the reasons each of the passengers gavefor being on board _The Tub_. A fast and splendid liner of an oppositioncompany left New York the next day, and many of our passengers explainedto me they had come to New York with the intention of going by thatboat, but they found all the rooms taken, that is, all the desirablerooms. Of coarse they might have had a room down on the third deck; butthey were accustomed in travelling to have the best rooms, and if theycouldn't be had, why it didn't much matter what was given them, so thatwas the reason they took passage on _The Tub_. Others were on the boatbecause they remembered the time when she was one of the fastest on theocean, and they didn't like changing ships. Others again were particularfriends of the captain, and he would have been annoyed if they had takenany other steamer. Everybody had some particularly valid reason forchoosing _The Tub_, that is, every reason except economy, for it waswell known that _The Tub_ was one of the cheapest boats crossing theocean. For my own part I crossed on her, because the purser was aparticular friend of mine, and knew how to amalgamate fluids anddifferent solid substances in a manner that produced a very palatablerefreshment. He has himself deserted _The Tub_ long ago, and is nowpurser on one of the new boats of the same line. 

When the gong rang for the first meal on hoard _The Tub_ after leavingNew York, we filed down from the smoking-room to the great saloon totake our places at the table. There were never enough passengers onboard _The Tub_ to cause a great rush for places at the table; but onthis particular occasion, when we reached the foot of the stairway, twoor three of us stood for a moment both appalled and entranced. Sittingat the captain's right hand was a somewhat sour and unattractive elderlywoman, who was talking to that smiling and urbane official. Down thelong table from where she sat, in the next fifteen seats were fifteenyoung and pretty girls, most of them looking smilingly and expectantlytoward the stairway down which we were descending. The elderly womanpaused for a moment in her conversation with the captain, glanced alongthe line of beauty, said sharply, 'Girls!' and instantly every face wasturned demurely toward the plate that was in front of it, and then we, who had hesitated for a moment on the stairway, at once made a break, not for our seats at the table, but for the purser. 

"It's all right, gentlemen, " said that charming man, before we couldspeak; "it's all right. I've arranged your places down the table on theopposite side. You don't need to say a word, and those of you who wantto change from the small tables to the large one, will find your nameson the long table as well as at the small tables, where you have alreadychosen your places. So, you see, I knew just how you wished thingsarranged; but, " he continued, lowering his voice, "boys, there's adragon in charge. I know her. She has crossed with us two or threetimes. She wanted me to arrange it so that fifteen ladies should sitopposite her fifteen girls; but, of course, we couldn't do that, becausethere aren't fifteen other ladies on board, and there had to be one ortwo ladies placed next the girls at the foot of the table, so that nogirl should have a young man sitting beside her. I have done the best Icould, gentlemen, and, if you want the seats rearranged, I think we canmanage it for you. Individual preferences may crop up, you know. " Andthe purser smiled gently, for he had crossed the ocean very, very often. 

We all took our places, sternly scrutinised by the lady, whom the purserhad flatteringly termed the "dragon. " She evidently didn't think verymuch of us as a crowd, and I am sure in my own heart I cannot blame her. We were principally students going over to German colleges on the cheap, some commercial travellers, and a crowd generally who could not affordto take a better boat, although we had all just missed the fast linerthat had left a few days before, or had for some reason not succeeded insecuring a berth on the fast boat, which was to leave the day after. 

If any of the fifteen young ladies were aware of our presence, theydid not show it by glancing toward us. They seemed to confine theirconversation to whispers among themselves, and now and then a littlesuppressed giggle arose from one part of the line or the other, uponwhich the "dragon" looked along the row, and said severely, "Girls!"whereupon everything was quiet again, although some independent younglady generally broke the silence by another giggle just at the time thestillness was becoming most impressive. 

After dinner, in the smoking-room, there was a great deal of discussionabout the fifteen pretty girls and about the "dragon. " As the officerson board _The Tub_ were gentlemen whom an ordinary person might speakto, a delegation of one was deputed to go to the purser's room andfind out all that could be learned in relation to the young and lovelypassengers. 

The purser said that the dragon's name was Mrs. Scrivener-Yapling, witha hyphen. The hyphen was a very important part of the name, and Mrs. Scrivener-Yapling always insisted upon it. Any one who ignored thathyphen speedily fell from the good graces of Mrs. Scrivener-Yapling. I regret to say, however, in spite of the hyphen, the lady was verygenerally known as the "dragon" during that voyage. The purser told usfurther, that Mrs. Scrivener-Yapling was in the habit of coming overonce a year with a party of girls whom she trotted around Europe. Theidea was that they learnt a great deal of geography, a good deal ofFrench and German, and received in a general way a polish which Europeis supposed to give. 

The circular which Mrs. Scrivener-Yapling issued was shown to me onceby one of the girls, and it represented that all travelling wasfirst-class, that nothing but the very best accommodations on steamersand in hotels were provided, and on account of Mrs. S. Y. 's intimateknowledge of Europe, and the different languages spoken there, shemanaged the excursion in a way which any one else would find impossibleto emulate, and the advantages accruing from such a trip could not beobtained in any other manner without a very much larger expenditure ofmoney. The girls had the advantage of motherly care during all the timethey were abroad, and as the party was strictly limited in number, and the greatest care taken to select members only from the very bestfamilies in America, Mrs. Scrivener-Yapling was certain that all herpatrons would realise that this was an opportunity of a lifetime, etc. , etc. 

Even if _The Tub_ were not the finest boat on the Atlantic, shecertainly belonged to one of the best lines, and as the circularmentioned the line and not the particular vessel on which the excursionwas to go, the whole thing had a very high-class appearance. 

The first morning out, shortly after, breakfast, the "dragon" and hergirls appeared on deck. The girls walked two and two together, and kepttheir eyes pretty much on the planks beneath them. The fifteenth girlwalked with the "dragon, " and thus the eight pairs paced slowly up anddown the deck under the "dragon's" eye. When this morning promenade wasover the young ladies were marshalled into the ladies' saloon, where nomasculine foot was allowed to tread. Shortly before lunch an indignationmeeting was held in the smoking-room. Stewart Montague, a commercialtraveller from Milwaukee, said that he had crossed the ocean many times, but had never seen such a state of things before. This young ladies'seminary business (he alluded to the two and two walk along the deck)ought not to be permitted on any well regulated ship. Here were a numberof young ladies, ranging in age from eighteen upwards, and therelay ahead of us a long and possibly dreary voyage, yet the "dragon"evidently expected that not one of the young ladies was to be allowed tospeak to one of the young gentlemen on board, much less walk the deckwith him. Now, for his part, said Stewart Montague, he was going to takeoff his hat the next morning to the young lady who sat opposite him atthe dinner-table and boldly ask her to walk the deck with him. If the"dragon" interfered, he proposed that we all mutiny, seize the vessel, put the captain in irons, imprison the "dragon" in the hold, and thentake to pirating on the high seas. One of the others pointed out to himan objection to this plan, claiming that _The Tub_ could not overtakeanything but a sailing-vessel, while even that was doubtful. Montagueexplained that the mutiny was only to be resorted to as a last desperatechance. He believed the officers of the boat would give us everyassistance possible, and so it was only in case of everything elsefailing that we should seize the ship. 

In a moment of temporary aberration I suggested that the "dragon" mightnot be, after all, such an objectionable person as she appeared, andthat perhaps she could be won over by kindness. Instantly a motion wasput, and carried unanimously, appointing me a committee to try theeffect of kindness on the "dragon. " It was further resolved that themeeting should be adjourned, and I should report progress at the nextconclave. 

I respectfully declined this mission. I said it was none of my affair. Ididn't wish to talk to any of the fifteen girls, or even walk the deckwith them. I was perfectly satisfied as I was. I saw no reason why Ishould sacrifice myself for the good of others. I suggested that thename of Stewart Montague be substituted for mine, and that he shouldface the "dragon" and report progress. 

Mr. Montague said it had been my suggestion, not his, that the "dragon"might be overcome by kindness. He did not believe she could, but he wasquite willing to suspend hostilities until my plan had been tried andthe result reported to the meeting. It was only when they brought ina motion to expel me from the smoking-room that I succumbed to thepressure. The voyage was just beginning, and what is a voyage to asmoker who dare not set foot in the smoking-room?

I do not care to dwell on the painful interview I had with the "dragon. "I put my foot in it at the very first by pretending that I thought shecame from New York, whereas she had really come from Boston. To take aNew York person for a Bostonian is flattery, but to reverse the orderof things, especially with a woman of the uncertain temper of Mrs. Scrivener-Yapling, was really a deadly insult, and I fear this helped toshipwreck my mission, although I presume it would have been shipwreckedin any case. Mrs. Scrivener-Yapling gave me to understand that if therewas one thing more than another she excelled in it was the reading ofcharacter. She knew at a glance whether a man could be trusted or not;most men were not, I gathered from her conversation. It seems she hadtaken a great many voyages across the Atlantic, and never in the wholecourse of her experience had she seen such an objectionable body ofyoung men as on this present occasion. She accused me of being a marriedman, and I surmised that there were other iniquities of which shestrongly suspected me. 

The mission was not a success, and I reported at the adjourned meetingaccordingly. 

Mr. Stewart Montague gave it as his opinion that the mission washopeless from the first, and in this I quite agreed with him. He said hewould try his plan at dinner, but what it was he refused to state. Weasked if he would report on the success or failure, and he answered thatwe would all see whether it was a success or failure for ourselves. Sothere was a good deal of interest centring around the meal, an interestnot altogether called forth by the pangs of hunger. 

Dinner had hardly commenced when Mr. Stewart Montague leaned over thetable and said, in quite an audible voice, to the young lady oppositehim, "I understand you have never been over the ocean before?"

The young lady looked just a trifle frightened, blushed very prettily, and answered in a low voice that she had not. 

Then he said, "I envy you the first impressions you will have of Europe. It is a charming country. Where do you go after leaving England?"

"We are going across to Paris first, " she replied, still in a low voice. 

Most of us, however, were looking at the "dragon. " That lady sat boltupright in her chair as if she could not believe her ears. Then shesaid, in an acid voice, "Miss Fleming. "

"Yes, Mrs. Scrivener-Yapling, " answered that young lady. 

"Will you oblige me by coming here for a moment?"

Miss Fleming slowly revolved in her circular chair, then rose and walkedup to the head of the table. 

"Miss Strong, " said the "dragon" calmly, to the young lady who satbeside her, "will you oblige me by taking Miss Fleming's place at thecentre of the table?"

Miss Strong rose and took Miss Fleming's place. 

"Sit down beside me, please?" said the "dragon" to Miss Fleming; andthat unfortunate young woman, now as red as a rose, sat down beside the"dragon. "

Stewart Montague bit his lip. The rest of us said nothing, and appearednot to notice what had occurred. Conversation went on among ourselves. The incident seemed ended; but, when the fish was brought, and placedbefore Miss Fleming, she did not touch it. Her eyes were still upon thetable. Then, apparently unable to struggle any longer with her emotions, she rose gracefully, and, bowing to the captain, said, "Excuse me, please. " She walked down the long saloon with a firm step, anddisappeared. The "dragon" tried to resume conversation with thecaptain as if nothing had happened; but that official answered only inmonosyllables, and a gloom seemed to have settled down upon the dinnerparty. 

Very soon the captain rose and excused himself. There was something toattend to on deck, he said, and he left us. 

As soon as we had reassembled in the smoking-room, and the steward hadbrought in our cups of black coffee, Stewart Montague arose and said, "Gentlemen, I know just what you are going to say to me. It _was_brutal. Of course I didn't think the 'dragon' would do such a thing. Myplan was a complete failure. I expected that conversation would takeplace across the table all along the line, if I broke the ice. "

Whatever opinions were held, none found expression, and that evening inthe smoking-room was as gloomy as the hour at the dinner-table. 

Towards the shank of the evening a gentleman, who had never been in thesmoking-room before, entered very quietly. We recognised him as the manwho sat to the left of the captain opposite the "dragon. " He was a manof middle age and of somewhat severe aspect. He spoke with deliberationwhen he did speak, and evidently, weighed his words. All we knew of himwas that the chair beside his at meal-times had been empty since thevoyage began, and it was said that his wife took her meals in herstate-room. She had appeared once on deck with him, very closely veiled, and hung upon his arm in a way that showed she was not standing thevoyage very well, pleasant as it had been. 

"Gentlemen, " began the man suavely, "I would like to say a few words toyou if I were certain that my remarks would be taken in the spirit inwhich they are given, and that you would not think me intrusive orimpertinent. "

"Go ahead, " said Montague, gloomily, who evidently felt a premonition ofcoming trouble. 

The serious individual waited until the steward had left the room, thenhe closed the door. "Gentlemen, " he continued, "I will not recur to thepainful incident which happened at the dinner-table to-nightfurther than by asking you, as honourable men, to think of Mrs. Scrivener-Yapling's position of great responsibility. She stands in theplace of a mother to a number of young ladies who, for the first time intheir lives, have left their homes. "

"Lord pity them, " said somebody, who was sitting in the corner. 

The gentleman paid no attention to the remark. 

"Now what I wish to ask of you is that you will not make Mrs. Scrivener-Yapling's position any harder by futile endeavours to form theacquaintance of the young ladies. "

At this point Stewart Montague broke out. "Who the devil are you, sir, and who gave you the right to interfere?"

"As to who I am, " said the gentleman, quietly, "my name is Kensington, and--"

"West or South?" asked the man in the corner. 

At this there was a titter of laughter. 

"My name is Kensington, " repeated the gentleman, "and I have been askedby Mrs. Scrivener-Yapling to interfere, which I do very reluctantly. AsI said at the beginning, I hope you will not think my interference isimpertinent. I only do so at the earnest request of the lady I havementioned, because I am a family man myself, and I understand andsympathise with the lady in the responsibility which she has assumed. "

"It seems to me, " said the man in the corner, "that if the 'dragon' hasassumed responsibilities and they have not been thrust upon her, which Iunderstand they have not, then she must take the responsibility of theresponsibilities which she has assumed. Do I make myself clear?"

"Gentlemen, " said Mr. Kensington, "it is very painful for me to speakwith you upon this subject. I feel that what I have so clumsilyexpressed may not be correctly understood; but I appeal to your honouras gentlemen, and I am sure I will not appeal in vain when I ask you notto make further effort towards the acquaintance of the young ladies, because all that you can succeed in doing will be to render their voyageunpleasant to themselves, and interrupt, if not seriously endanger, the good feeling which I understand has always existed between Mrs. Scrivener-Yapling and her _protégées_. "

"All right, " said the man in the corner. "Have a drink, Mr. Kensington?"

"Thank you, I never drink, " answered Mr. Kensington. 

"Have a smoke, then?"

"I do not smoke either, thank you all the same for your offer. I hope, gentlemen, you will forgive my intrusion on you this evening. Goodnight. "

"Impudent puppy, " said Stewart Montague, as he closed the door behindhim. 

But in this we did not agree with him, not even the man in the corner. 

"He is perfectly right, " said that individual, "and I believe that weought to be ashamed of ourselves. It will only make trouble, and I forone am going to give up the hunt. "

So, from that time forward, the smoking-room collectively made no efforttowards the acquaintance of the young ladies. The ladies' seminary walk, as it was called, took place every morning punctually, and sometimesMr. Kensington accompanied the walkers. Nevertheless, individualfriendships, in spite of everything that either Mr. Kensington or the"dragon" could do, sprang up between some of the young men and some ofthe girls, but the "dragon" had an invaluable ally in Mr. Kensington. The moment any of the young ladies began walking with any of the younggentlemen on deck, or the moment they seated themselves in steamerchairs together, the urbane, always polite Mr. Kensington appeared onthe scene and said, "Miss So-and-So, Mrs. Scrivener-Yapling would liketo speak with you. "

Then the young lady would go with Mr. Kensington, while the younggentleman was apt to use strong language and gnash his teeth. 

Mr. Kensington seemed lynx-eyed. There was no escaping him. Many in thesmoking-room no doubt would have liked to have picked a flaw in hischaracter if they could. One even spoke of the old chestnut about a manwho had no small vices being certain to have some very large ones; buteven the speakers themselves did not believe this, and any one could seeat a glance that Mr. Kensington was a man of sterling character. Somehinted that his wife was the victim of his cruelty, and kept herstate-room only because she knew that he was so fond of the "dragon's"company, and possibly that of some of the young ladies as well. Butthis grotesque sentiment did not pass current even in the smoking-room. Nevertheless, although he was evidently so good a man, he was certainlythe most unpopular individual on board _The Tub_. The hatred thatStewart Montague felt for him ever since that episode in thesmoking-room was almost grotesque. 

Montague had somehow managed to get a contrite note of apology anddistress to Miss Fleming, and several times the alert Mr. Kensington hadcaught them together, and asked Miss Fleming with the utmost respect tocome down and see Mrs. Scrivener-Yapling. 

All in all the "dragon" did not have a very easy time of it. She fussedaround like any other old hen who had in charge a brood of ducks. 

Once I thought there was going to be a row between Montague andKensington. He met that gentleman in a secluded part of the deck, and, going up to him, said--

"You old wife deserter, why can't you attend to your own affairs?"

Kensington turned deadly pale at this insult, and his fists clinched--

"What do you mean?" he said huskily. 

"I mean what I say. Why don't you take your own wife walking on thedeck, and leave the young ladies alone. It's none of your business withwhom they walk. "

Kensington seemed about to reply; but he thought better of it, turned onhis heel, and left Montague standing there. 

The old _Tub_ worried her way across the ocean, and reached the bar atLiverpool just in time to be too late to cross it that night. Word waspassed along that a tender would come out from Liverpool for us, whichwas not a very cheering prospect, as we would have two hours' sail atleast in what was practically an open boat. 

Finally the tender came alongside, and the baggage was dumped downupon it. All of us gathered together ready to leave _The Tub_. Mr. Kensington, with his closely-veiled wife hanging on his arm, wasreceiving the thanks and congratulations of the "dragon. " The fifteengirls were all around her. Before any one started down the slopinggangway plank, however, two policemen, accompanied by a woman, hurriedup on board _The Tub_. 

"Now, madam, " said the policeman, "is he here?"

We saw that trouble was coming, and everybody looked at everybody else. 

"Is he here?" cried the woman excitedly; "there he stands, the villain. Oh, you villain, you scoundrel, you _mean_ rascal, to leave me, as youthought, penniless in New York, and desert your own wife and family forthat--that creature!" We all looked at Kensington, and his face wasgreenish-pale. The heavily veiled woman shrunk behind him and thepoliceman tried to make the true wife keep quiet. 

"Is your name Braughton?"

Kensington did not answer. His eyes were riveted on his wife. "In thename of God, " he cried aghast, "how did _you_ come here?"

"How did I come here, " she shrieked. "Oh, you thought you slipped awaynicely, didn't you? But you forgot that the _Clipper_ left the next day, and I've been here two days waiting for you. You little thought whenyou deserted me and my children in New York that we would be here toconfront you at Liverpool. "

"Come, come. " said the policeman, "there's no use of this. I am afraidyou will have to come with us, sir. "

They took him in charge, and the irate wife then turned like a tigresson the heavily veiled woman who was with him. 

"No wonder you are ashamed to show your face, " she cried. 

"Come, come, " said the policeman, "come, come. " And they managed toinduce her to say no more. 

"Madam, " said young Montague to the speechless 'dragon, ' "I want to askyour permission to allow me to carry Miss Fleming's hand-baggageashore. "

"How dare you speak to me, sir?" she answered. 

"Because, " he said, in a low voice, "I thought perhaps you wouldn'tlike an account of this affair to go to the Boston newspapers. I'm anewspaper man, you see, " he added, with unblushing mendacity. Then, turning to Miss Fleming, he said, "Won't you allow me to carry this foryou?"

Miss Fleming surrendered the natty little handbag she had with her, andsmiled. The "dragon" made no objection. 

A SOCIETY FOR THE REFORMATION OF POKER PLAYERS. 

 "O Unseen Hand that ever makes and deals us, And plays our game! That now obscures and then to light reveals us, Serves blanks of fame How vain our shuffling, bluff and weak pretending! Tis Thou alone can name the final ending"

The seductive game of poker is one that I do not understand. I do notcare to understand it, because it cannot be played without the puttingup of a good deal of the coin of the realm, and although I have nothingto say against betting, my own theory of conduct in the matter is this, that I want no man's money which I do not earn, and I do not want anyman to get my money unless he earns it. So it happens, in the matter ofcards, I content myself with eucre and other games which do not requirethe wagering of money. 

On board the Atlantic steamers there is always more or less gambling. Ihave heard it said that men make trips to and fro merely for the purposeof fleecing their fellow-passengers; but, except in one instance, Inever had any experience with this sort of thing. 

Our little society for the reformation of poker players, or to speakmore correctly, for the reformation of one particular poker player, wasformed one bright starlight night, latitude such a number, and longitudesomething else, as four of us sat on a seat at the extreme rear end ofthe great steamer. We four, with one other, sat at a small table inthe saloon. One of the small tables on a Transatlantic steamer is verypleasant if you have a nice crowd with you. A seat at a small tablecompares with a seat at the large table as living in a village compareswith living in a city. You have some individuality at the short table;you are merely one of a crowd at the long table. Our small table was notquite full. I had the honour of sitting at the head of it, and on eachside of me were two young fellows, making five altogether. We all ratherprided ourselves on the fact that there were no ladies at our littletable. 

The young Englishman who sat at my right hand at the corner of the tablewas going out to America to learn farming. I could, myself, have taughthim a good deal about it, but I refrained from throwing cold water onhis enthusiastic ideas about American agriculture. His notion was thatit was an occupation mostly made up of hunting and fishing, and havinga good time generally. The profits, he thought, were large and easilyacquired. He had guns with him, and beautiful fishing-rods, and thingsof that sort. He even had a vague idea that he might be able tointroduce fox-hunting in the rural district to which he was going. Heunderstood, and regretted the fact, that we in the United States wererather behind-hand in the matter of fox-hunting. He had a good deal ofmoney with him, I understood, and he had already paid a hundred poundsto a firm in England that had agreed to place him on a farm in America. Of course, now that the money had been paid, there was no use in tellingthe young man he had been a fool. He would find that out soon enoughwhen he got to America. Henry Storm was his name, and a milder manneredman with a more unsuitable name could hardly be found. The first two orthree days out he was the life of our party. We all liked him, in fact, nobody could help liking him; but, as the voyage progressed, he grewmore and more melancholy, and, what was really serious, took littlefood, which is not natural in an Englishman. I thought somebody hadbeen telling him what a fool he had been to pay away his hundred poundsbefore leaving England, but young Smith of Rochester, who sat at myleft, told me what the trouble was one day as we walked the deck. "Doyou know, " he began, "that Henry Storm is being robbed?"

"Being robbed?" I answered; "you mean he has been robbed. "

"Well, has been, and is being, too. The thing is going on yet. He isplaying altogether too much poker in the smoking-room, and has lost apile of money--more, I imagine, than he can well afford. "

"That's what's the trouble with him, is it? Well, he ought to knowbetter than to play for bigger stakes than he can afford to lose. "

"Oh, it's easy to say that; but he's in the hands of a swindler, of aprofessional gambler. You see that man?" He lowered his voice as hespoke, and I looked in the direction of his glance. By this time weknew, in a way, everybody on board the ship. The particular man Smithpointed out was a fellow I had noticed a good deal, who was very quietand gentlemanly, interfering with nobody, and talking with few. I hadspoken to him once, but he had answered rather shortly, and, apparentlyto his relief, and certainly to my own, our acquaintance ceased where itbegan. He had jet black beard and hair, both rather closely clipped; andhe wore a fore and aft cap, which never improves a man's appearance verymuch. 

"That man, " continued Smith, as he passed us, "was practically underarrest for gambling on the steamer in which I came over. It seems thathe is a regular professional gambler, who does nothing but go across theocean and back again, fleecing young fellows like Storm. "

"Does he cheat?" I asked. 

"He doesn't need to. He plays poker. An old hand, and a cool one, hasno occasion to cheat at that game to get a young one's money away fromhim. "

"Then why doesn't some one warn young Storm?"

"Well, that's just what I wanted to speak to you about. I think it oughtto be done. I think we should call a meeting of our table, somewhere outhere in the quiet, and have a talk over it, and make up our mind whatis to be done. It's a delicate matter, you know, and I am afraid we area little late as it is. I do believe young Storm has lost nearly all hismoney to that fellow. "

"Can't he be made to disgorge?"

"How? The money has been won fairly enough, as that sort of thing goes. Other fellows have played with them. It isn't as if he had been caughtcheating--he hasn't, and won't be. He doesn't cheat--he doesn't need to, as I said before. Now that gambler pretends he is a commercial travellerfrom Buffalo. I know Buffalo down to the ground, so I took him asideyesterday and said plumply to him, 'What firm in Buffalo do yourepresent?' He answered shortly that his business was his own affair. I said, 'Certainly it is, and you are quite right in keeping it dark. When I was coming over to Europe, I saw a man in your line of businesswho looked very much like you, practically put under arrest by thepurser for gambling. You were travelling for a St. Louis house then. '"

"What did he say to that?"

"Nothing; he just gave me one of those sly, sinister looks of his, turned on his heel, and left me. "

The result of this conversation was the inauguration of the Society forthe Reforming of a Poker Player. It was agreed between us that if youngStorm had lost all his money we would subscribe enough as a loan to takecare of him until he got a remittance from home. Of course we knew thatany young fellow who goes out to America to begin farming, does not, as a general rule, leave people in England exceedingly well off, andprobably this fact, more than any other, accounted for the remorsevisible on Storm's countenance. We knew quite well that the offering ofmoney to him would be a very delicate matter, but it was agreed thatSmith should take this in hand if we saw the offer was necessary. ThenI, as the man who sat at the head of the table, was selected to speak toyoung Storm, and, if possible, get him to abandon poker. I knew this wasa somewhat impudent piece of business on my part, and so I took thatevening to determine how best to perform the task set for me. I resolvedto walk the deck with him in the morning, and have a frank talk over thematter. 

When the morning came, I took young Storm's arm and walked two or threeturns up and down the deck, but all the while I could not get up courageenough to speak with him in relation to gambling. When he left me, Iagain thought over the matter. I concluded to go into the smoking-roommyself, sit down beside him, see him lose some money and use that factas a test for my coming discourse on the evils of gambling. Afterluncheon I strolled into the smoking-room, and there sat this dark-facedman with his half-closed eyes opposite young Storm, while two othersmade up the four-handed game of poker. 

Storm's face was very pale, and his lips seemed dry, for he moistenedthem every now and then as the game went on. He was sitting on the sofa, and I sat down beside him, paying no heed to the dark gambler's look ofannoyance. However, the alleged Buffalo man said nothing, for he was nota person who did much talking. Storm paid no attention to me as I satdown beside him. The gambler had just dealt. It was very interesting tosee the way he looked at his hand. He allowed merely the edges of thecards to show over each other, and then closed up his hand and seemedto know just what he had. When young Storm looked at his hand he gave asort of gasp, and for the first time cast his eyes upon me. I had seenhis hand, but did not know whether it was a good one or not. I imaginedit was not very good, because all the cards were of a low denomination. Threes or fours I think, but four of the cards had a like number ofspots. There was some money in the centre of the table. Storm pushed ahalf-crown in front of him, and the next man did the same. The gamblerput down a half-sovereign, and the man at his left, after a moment'shesitation, shoved out an equal amount from the pile of gold in front ofhim. 

Young Storm pushed out a sovereign. 

"I'm out, " said the man whose next bet it was, throwing down his cards. 

The gambler raised it a sovereign, and the man at his left dropped out. It now rested between Storm and the gambler. Storm increased the bet asovereign. The gambler then put on a five-pound note. 

Storm said to me huskily, "Have you any money?"

"Yes, " I answered him. 

"Lend me five pounds if you can. "

Now, the object of my being there was to stop gambling, not to encourageit. I was the president _pro tem_, of the Society for the Reformation ofPoker Players, yet I dived into my pocket, pulled out my purse under thetable and slipped a five-pound note into his hand. He put that on thetable as if he had just taken it from his own pocket. 

"I call you, " he said. 

"What have you got?" asked the gambler. 

"Four fours, " said Storm, putting down his hand. 

The gambler closed up his and threw the cards over to the man who was todeal. Storm paused a moment and then pulled towards him the money in thecentre of the table and handed me my five-pound note. 

When the cards were next dealt, Storm seemed to have rather an ordinaryhand, so apparently had all the rest, and there was not much money inthe pile. But, poor as Storm's hand was, the rest appeared to be poorer, and he raked in the cash. This went on for two or three deals, andfinding that, as Storm was winning all the time, although not heavily, Iwas not getting an object lesson against gambling, I made a move to go. 

"Stay where you are, " whispered Storm to me, pinching my knee with hishand so hard that I almost cried out. 

Then it came to the gambler's turn to deal again. All the time he deftlyshuffled the cards he watched the players with that furtive glance ofhis from out his half-shut eyes. 

Storm's hand was a remarkable one, after he had drawn two cards, but Idid not know whether it had any special value or not. The other playersdrew three cards each, and the gambler took one. 

"How much money have you got?" whispered Storm to me. 

"I don't know, " I said, "perhaps a hundred pounds. "

"Be prepared to lend me every penny of it, " he whispered. 

I said nothing; but I never knew the president of a society for thesuppression of gambling to be in such a predicament. 

Storm bet a sovereign. The player to his left threw down his hand. Thegambler pushed out two sovereigns. The other player went out. 

Storm said, "I see your bet, and raise you another sovereign. " Thegambler, without saying a word, shoved forward some more gold. 

"Get your money ready, " whispered Storm to I did not quite like histone, but I made allowance for the excitement under which he wasevidently labouring. 

He threw on a five-pound note. The gambler put down another five-poundnote, and then, as if it were the slightest thing possible, put aten-pound note on top of that, which made the side players gasp. Stormhad won sufficient to cover the bet and raise it. After that I had tofeed in to him five-pound notes, keeping count of their number on myfingers as I did so. The first to begin to hesitate about putting moneyforward was the gambler. He shot a glance now and again from under hiseyebrows at the young man opposite. Finally, when my last five-poundnote had been thrown on the pile, the gambler spoke for the first time. 

"I call you, " he said. 

"Put down another five-pound note, " cried the young man. 

"I have called you, " said the gambler. 

Henry Storm half rose from his seat in his excitement. "Put down anotherfive-pound note, if you dare. "

"That isn't poker, " said the gambler. "I have called you. What have yougot?"

"Put down another five-pound note, and I'll put a ten-pound note on topof it. "

"I say that isn't poker. You have been called. What have you got?"

"I'll bet you twenty pounds against your five-pound note, if you dareput it down. "

By this time Storm was standing up, quivering with excitement, his cardstightly clenched in his hand. The gambler sat opposite him calm andimperturbable. 

"What have you got?" said Storm. 

"I called you, " said the gambler, "show your hand. "

"Yes; but when I called you, you asked me what I had, and I told you. What have _you_ got?"

"I am not afraid to show my hand, " said the gambler, and he put down onthe table four aces. 

"There's the king of hearts, " said Storm, putting it down on the table. "There's the queen of hearts, there's the knave of hearts, there's theten of hearts. Now, " he cried, waving his other card in the air, "canyou tell me what this card is?"

"I am sure I don't know, " answered the gambler, quietly, "probably thenine of hearts. "

"It _is_ the nine of hearts, " shouted Storm, placing it down beside theothers. 

The gambler quietly picked up the cards, and handed them to the man whowas to deal. Storm's hands were trembling with excitement as he pulledthe pile of bank notes and gold towards him. He counted out what I hadgiven him, and passed it to me under the table. The rest he thrust intohis pocket. 

"Come, " I said, "it is time to go. Don't strain your luck. "

"Another five pounds, " he whispered; "sit where you are. "

"Nonsense, " I said, "another five pounds will certainly mean that youlose, everything you have won. Come away, I want to talk with you. "

"Another five pounds, I have sworn it. "

"Very well, I shall not stay here any longer. "

"No, no, " he cried eagerly; "sit where you are, sit where you are. "

There was a grim thin smile on the lips of the gambler as this whisperedconversation took place. 

When the next hand was dealt around and Storm looked at his cards, hegave another gasp of delight. I thought that a poker player should notbe so free with his emotions; but of course I said nothing. When it camehis time to bet, he planked down a five-pound note on the table. Theother two, as was usual, put down their cards. They were evidently verytimorous players. The gambler hesitated for a second, then he put aten-pound note on Storm's five-pounds. Storm at once saw him, and raisedhim ten. The gambler hesitated longer this time, but at last he said, "Ishall not bet. What have you got?"

"Do you call me?" asked Storm. "Put up your money if you do. "

"No, I do not call you. "

Storm laughed and threw his cards face up on the table. "I havenothing, " he said, "I have bluffed you for once. "

"It is very often done, " answered the gambler, quietly, as Storm drewin his pile of money, stuffing it again in his coat pocket. "Your deal, Storm. "

"No, sir, " said the young man, rising up; "I'll never touch a poker handagain. I have got my own money back and five or ten pounds over. I knowwhen I've had enough. "

Although it was Storm's deal, the gambler had the pack of cards in hishand idly shuffling them to and fro. 

"I have often heard, " he said slowly without raising his eyes, "thatwhen one fool sits down beside another fool at poker, the player has theluck of two fools--but I never believed it before. "

THE MAN WHO WAS NOT ON THE PASSENGER LIST. 

 "The well-sworn Lie, franked to the world with all The circumstance of proof, Cringes abashed, and sneaks along the wall At the first sight of Truth. "

The _Gibrontus_ of the Hot Cross Bun Line was at one time the best shipof that justly celebrated fleet. All steamships have, of course, theirturn at the head of the fleet until a better boat is built, but the_Gibrontus_ is even now a reasonably fast and popular boat. An accidenthappened on board the _Gibrontus_ some years ago which was of smallimportance to the general public, but of some moment to RichardKeeling--for it killed him. The poor man got only a line or two in thepapers when the steamer arrived at New York, and then they spelled hisname wrong. It had happened something like this: Keeling was wanderingaround very late at night, when he should have been in his bunk, and hestepped on a dark place that he thought was solid. As it happened, therewas nothing between him and the bottom of the hold but space. Theyburied Keeling at sea, and the officers knew absolutely nothing aboutthe matter when inquisitive passengers, hearing rumours, questionedthem. This state of things very often exists both on sea and land, asfar as officials are concerned. Mrs. Keeling, who had been left inEngland while her husband went to America to make his fortune, andtumbled down a hole instead, felt aggrieved at the company. The companysaid that Keeling had no business to be nosing around dark places on thedeck at that time of night, and doubtless their contention was just. Mrs. Keeling, on the other hand, held that a steamer had no right tohave such mantraps open at any time, night or day, without having themproperly guarded, and in that she was also probably correct. The companywas very sorry, of course, that the thing had occurred; but they refusedto pay for Keeling unless compelled to do so by the law of the land, andthere matters stood. No one can tell what the law of the land will dowhen it is put in motion, although many people thought that if Mrs. Keeling had brought a suit against the Hot Cross Bun Company she wouldhave won it. But Mrs. Keeling was a poor woman, and you have to put apenny in the slot when you want the figures of justice to work, so theunfortunate creature signed something which the lawyer of the companyhad written out, and accepted the few pounds which Keeling had paid forRoom 18 on the _Gibrontus_. It would seem that this ought to have settledthe matter, for the lawyer told Mrs. Keeling he thought the companyacted very generously in refunding the passage money; but it didn'tsettle the matter. Within a year from that time, the company voluntarilypaid Mrs. Keeling £2100 for her husband. Now that the occurrence iscalled to your mind, you will perhaps remember the editorial one of theleading London dailies had on the extraordinary circumstance, in whichit was very ably shown that the old saying about corporations having nosouls to be condemned or bodies to be kicked did not apply in these daysof commercial honour and integrity. It was a very touching editorial, and it caused tears to be shed on the Stock Exchange, the members havinghad no idea, before reading it, that they were so noble and generous. 

How, then, was it that the Hot Cross Bun Company did this commendableact when their lawyer took such pains to clear them of all legalliability? The purser of the _Gibrontus_, who is now old andsuperannuated, could probably tell you if he liked. 

When the negotiations with Mrs. Keeling had been brought to asatisfactory conclusion by the lawyer of the company, and when thatgentleman was rubbing his hands over his easy victory, the good ship_Gibrontus_ was steaming out of the Mersey on her way to New York. Thestewards in the grand saloon were busy getting things in order fordinner, when a wan and gaunt passenger spoke to one of them. 

"Where have you placed me at table?" he asked. 

"What name, sir?" asked the steward. 

"Keeling. "

The steward looked along the main tables, up one side and down theother, reading the cards, but nowhere did he find the name he was insearch of. Then he looked at the small tables, but also without success. 

"How do you spell it, sir?" he asked the patient passenger. 

"K-double-e-l-i-n-g. "

"Thank you, sir. "

Then he looked up and down the four rows of names on the passenger listhe held in his hand, but finally shook his head. 

"I can't find your name on the passenger list, " he said. "I'll speak tothe purser, sir. "

"I wish you would, " replied the passenger in a listless way, as if hehad not much interest in the matter. The passenger, whose name was noton the list, waited until the steward returned. "Would you mind steppinginto the purser's room for a moment, sir? I'll show you the way, sir. "

When the passenger was shown into the purser's room that official saidto him, in the urbane manner of pursers--

"Might I look at your ticket, sir?"

The passenger pulled a long pocket-book from the inside of his coat, opened it, and handed the purser the document it contained. The purserscrutinized it sharply, and then referred to a list he had on the deskbefore him. 

"This is very strange, " he said at last. "I never knew such a thing tooccur before, although, of course, it is always possible. The people onshore have in some unaccountable manner left your name out of my list. Iam sorry you have been put to any inconvenience, sir. "

"There has been no inconvenience so far, " said the passenger, "and Itrust there will be none. You find the ticket regular, I presume?"

"Quite so--quite so, " replied the purser. Then, to the waiting steward, "Give Mr. Keeling any place he prefers at the table which is not alreadytaken. You have Room 18. "

"That was what I bought at Liverpool. "

"Well, I see you have the room to yourself, and I hope you will findit comfortable. Have you ever crossed with us before, sir? I seem torecollect your face. "

"I have never been in America. "

"Ah! I see so many faces, of course, that I sometimes fancy I know a manwhen I don't. Well, I hope you will have a pleasant voyage, sir. "

"Thank you. "

No. 18 was not a popular passenger. People seemed instinctively toshrink from him, although it must be admitted that he made no advances. All went well until the _Gibrontus_ was about half-way over. Oneforenoon the chief officer entered the captain's room with a pale face, and, shutting the door after him, said--

"I am very sorry to have to report, sir, that one of the passengers hasfallen into the hold. "

"Good heavens!" cried the captain. "Is he hurt?"

"He is killed, sir. "

The captain stared aghast at his subordinate. 

"How did it happen? I gave the strictest orders those places were on noaccount to be left unguarded. "

Although the company had held to Mrs. Keeling that the captain was notto blame, their talk with that gentleman was of an entirely differenttone. 

"That is the strange part of it, sir. The hatch has not been opened thisvoyage, sir, and was securely bolted down. "

"Nonsense! Nobody will believe such a story! Some one has been careless!Ask the purser to come here, please. "

When the purser saw the body, he recollected, and came as near faintingas a purser can. 

They dropped Keeling overboard in the night, and the whole affair wasmanaged so quietly that nobody suspected anything, and, what is the mostincredible thing in this story, the New York papers did not have a wordabout it. What the Liverpool office said about the matter nobody knows, but it must have stirred up something like a breeze in that strictlybusiness locality. It is likely they pooh-poohed the whole affair, for, strange to say, when the purser tried to corroborate the story with thedead man's ticket the document was nowhere to be found. 

The _Gibrontus_ started out on her next voyage from Liverpool with allher colours flying, but some of her officers had a vague feeling ofunrest within them which reminded them of the time they first sailed onthe heaving seas. The purser was seated in his room, busy, as pursersalways are at the beginning of a voyage, when there was a rap at thedoor. 

"Come in!" shouted the important official, and there entered unto him astranger, who said--"Are you the purser?"

"Yes, sir. What can I do for you?"

"I have room No. 18. "

"What!" cried the purser, with a gasp, almost jumping from his chair. Then he looked at the robust man before him, and sank back with a sighof relief. It was not Keeling. 

"I have room No. 18, " continued the passenger, "and the arrangement Imade with your people in Liverpool was that I was to have the room tomyself. I do a great deal of shipping over your--"

"Yes, my dear sir, " said the purser, after having looked rapidly overhis list, "you have No. 18 to yourself. "

"So I told the man who is unpacking his luggage there; but he showed mehis ticket, and it was issued before mine. I can't quite understand whyyour people should--"

"What kind of a looking man is he?"

"A thin, unhealthy, cadaverous man, who doesn't look as if he would lasttill the voyage ends. I don't want _him_ for a room mate, if I have tohave one. I think you ought--"

"I will, sir. I will make it all right. I suppose, if it should happenthat a mistake has been made, and he has the prior claim to the room, you would not mind taking No. 24--it is a larger and better room. "

"That will suit me exactly. "

So the purser locked his door and went down to No. 18. 

"Well?" he said to its occupant. 

"Well, " answered Mr. Keeling, looking up at him with his cold and fishyeyes. 

"You're here again, are you?"

"I'm here again, and I _will_ be here again. And again and again, andagain and again. "

"Now, what the--" Then the purser hesitated a moment, and thoughtperhaps he had better not swear, with that icy, clammy gaze fixed uponhim. "What object have you in all this?"

"Object? The very simple one of making your company live up to itscontract. From Liverpool to New York, my ticket reads. I paid forbeing landed in the United States, not for being dumped overboard inmid-ocean. Do you think you can take me over? You have had two tries atit and have not succeeded. Yours is a big and powerful company too. "

"If you know we can't do it, then why do you--?" The purser hesitated. 

"Pester you with my presence?" suggested Mr. Keeling. "Because I wantyou to do justice. Two thousand pounds is the price, and I will raise itone hundred pounds every trip. " This time the New York papers got holdof the incident, but not of its peculiar features. They spoke of theextraordinary carelessness of the officers in allowing practically thesame accident to occur twice on the same boat. When the _Gibrontus_reached Liverpool all the officers, from the captain down, sent in theirresignations. Most of the sailors did not take the trouble to resign, but cut for it. The managing director was annoyed at the newspapercomments, but laughed at the rest of the story. He was invited tocome over and interview Keeling for his own satisfaction, most of theofficers promising to remain on the ship if he did so. He took Room 18himself. What happened I do not know, for the purser refused to sailagain on the _Gibrontus_, and was given another ship. 

But this much is certain. When the managing director got back, thecompany generously paid Mrs. Keeling £2100. 

THE TERRIBLE EXPERIENCE OF PLODKINS. 

 "Which--life or death? Tis a gambler's chance! Yet, unconcerned, we spin and dance, On the brittle thread of circumstance. "

I understand that Plodkins is in the habit of referring scepticallisteners to me, and telling them that I will substantiate every wordof his story. Now this is hardly fair of Plodkins. I can certainlycorroborate part of what he says, and I can bear witness to thecondition in which I found him after his ordeal was over. So I havethought it best, in order to set myself right with the public, to putdown exactly what occurred. If I were asked whether or not I believePlodkins' story myself, I would have to answer that sometimes I believeit, and sometimes I do not. Of course Plodkins will be offended whenhe reads this, but there are other things that I have to say about himwhich will perhaps enrage him still more; still they are the truth. Forinstance, Plodkins can hardly deny, and yet probably he will deny, thathe was one of the most talented drinkers in America. I venture to saythat every time he set foot in Liverpool coming East, or in New Yorkgoing West, he was just on the verge of delirium tremens, because, beingnecessarily idle during the voyage, he did little else but drink andsmoke. I never knew a man who could take so much liquor and show suchsmall results. The fact was, that in the morning Plodkins was never athis best, because he was nearer sober then than at any other part ofthe day; but, after dinner, a more entertaining, genial, generous, kind-hearted man than Hiram Plodkins could not be found anywhere. 

I want to speak of Plodkins' story with the calm, dispassionate mannerof a judge, rather than with the partisanship of a favourable witness;and although my allusion to Plodkins' habits of intoxication may seem tohim defamatory in character, and unnecessary, yet I mention them only toshow that something terrible must have occurred in the bath-room tomake him stop short. The extraordinary thing is, from that day to thisPlodkins has not touched a drop of intoxicating liquor, which fact initself strikes me as more wonderful than the story he tells. 

Plodkins was a frequent crosser on the Atlantic steamers. He wasconnected with commercial houses on both sides of the ocean; sellingin America for an English house, and buying in England for an Americanestablishment. I presume it was his experiences in selling goodsthat led to his terrible habits of drinking. I understood from himthat out West, if you are selling goods you have to do a great deal oftreating, and every time you treat another man to a glass of wine, or awhiskey cocktail, you have, of course, to drink with him. But this hasnothing to do with Plodkins' story. 

On an Atlantic liner, when there is a large list of passengers, especially of English passengers, it is difficult to get a convenienthour in the morning at which to take a bath. This being the case, thepurser usually takes down the names of applicants and assigns each aparticular hour. Your hour may be, say seven o'clock in the morning. Thenext man comes on at half-past seven, and the third man at eight, and soon. The bedroom steward raps at your door when the proper time arrives, and informs you that the bath is ready. You wrap a dressing-gown or acloak around you, and go along the silent corridors to the bath-room, coming back, generally before your half hour is up, like a giantrefreshed. 

Plodkins' bath hour was seven o'clock in the morning. Mine was half-pastseven. On the particular morning in question the steward did not callme, and I thought he had forgotten, so I passed along the dark corridorand tried the bath-room door. I found it unbolted, and as everything wasquiet inside, I entered. I thought nobody was there, so I shoved thebolt in the door, and went over to see if the water had been turned on. The light was a little dim even at that time of the morning, and I mustsay I was horror-stricken to see, lying in the bottom of the bath-tub, with his eyes fixed on the ceiling, Plodkins. I am quite willing toadmit that I was never so startled in my life. I thought at firstPlodkins was dead, notwithstanding his open eyes staring at the ceiling;but he murmured, in a sort of husky far-away whisper, "Thank God, " andthen closed his eyes. 

"What's the matter, Plodkins?" I said. "Are you ill? What's the matterwith you? Shall I call for help?"

There was a feeble negative motion of the head. Then he said, in awhisper, "Is the door bolted?"

"Yes, " I answered. 

After another moment's pause, I said--

"Shall I ring, and get you some whiskey or brandy?"

Again he shook his head. 

"Help me to get up, " he said feebly. 

He was very much shaken, and I had some trouble in getting him on hisfeet, and seating him on the one chair in the room. 

"You had better come to my state-room, " I said; "it is nearer thanyours. What has happened to you?" 

He replied, "I will go in a moment. Wait a minute. " And I waited. 

"Now, " he continued, when he had apparently pulled himself together abit, "just turn on the electric light, will you?"

I reached up to the peg of the electric light and turned it on. Ashudder passed over Plodkins' frame, but he said nothing. He seemedpuzzled, and once more I asked him to let me take him to my stateroom, but he shook his head. 

"Turn on the water. " I did so. 

"Turn out the electric light. " I did that also. 

"Now, " he added, "put your hand in the water and turn on the electriclight. "

I was convinced Plodkins had become insane, but I recollected I wasthere alone with him, shaky as he was, in a room with a bolted door, so I put my fingers in the water and attempted to turn on the electriclight. I got a shock that was very much greater than that which Ireceived when I saw Plodkins lying at the bottom of the bath-tub. I gavea yell and a groan, and staggered backwards. Then Plodkins laughed afeeble laugh. 

"Now, " he said, "I will go with you to your state-room. "

The laugh seemed to have braced up Plodkins like a glass of liquor wouldhave done, and when we got to my state-room he was able to tell me whathad happened. As a sort of preface to his remarks, I would like to saya word or two about that bath-tub. It was similar to bath-tubs on boardother steamers; a great and very deep receptacle of solid marble. Therewere different nickel-plated taps for letting in hot or cold water, orfresh water or salt water as was desired; and the escape-pipe instead ofbeing at the end, as it is in most bath-tubs, was in the centre. It wasthe custom of the bath-room steward to fill it about half full of waterat whatever temperature you desired. Then, placing a couple of towelson the rack, he would go and call the man whose hour it was to bathe. 

Plodkins said, "When I went in there everything appeared as usual, except that the morning was very dark. I stood in the bath-tub, thewater coming nearly to my knees, and reached up to turn on the electriclight. The moment I touched the brass key I received a shock that simplyparalyzed me. I think liquor has something to do with the awful effectthe electricity had upon me, because I had taken too much the nightbefore, and was feeling very shaky indeed; but the result was that Isimply fell full length in the bath-tub just as you found me. I wasunable to move anything except my fingers and toes. I did not appearto be hurt in the least, and my senses, instead of being dulled by theshock, seemed to be preternaturally sharp, and I realized in a momentthat if this inability to move remained with me for five minutes I was adead man--dead, not from the shock, but by drowning. I gazed up throughthat clear green water, and I could see the ripples on the surfaceslowly subsiding after my plunge into the tub. It reminded me of lookinginto an aquarium. You know how you see up through the water to thesurface with the bubbles rising to the top. I knew that nobody wouldcome in for at least half an hour, and even then I couldn't rememberwhether I had bolted the door or not. Sometimes I bolt it, and sometimesI don't. I didn't this morning, as it happens. All the time I felt thatstrength was slowly returning to me, for I continually worked my fingersand toes, and now feeling seemed to be coming up to my wrists and arms. Then I remembered that the vent was in the middle of the bath-tub; so, wriggling my fingers around, I got hold of the ring, and pulled up theplug. In the dense silence that was around me, I could not tell whetherthe water was running out or not; but gazing up towards the ceiling Ithought I saw the surface gradually sinking down and down and down. Ofcourse it couldn't have been more than a few seconds, but it seemed tobe years and years and years. I knew that if once I let my breath go Iwould be drowned, merely by the spasmodic action of my lungs trying torecover air. I felt as if I should burst. It was a match against time, with life or death as the stake. At first, as I said, my senses wereabnormally sharp, but, by and by, I began to notice that they werewavering. I thought the glassy surface of the water, which I could seeabove me, was in reality a great sheet of crystal that somebody waspressing down upon me, and I began to think that the moment it reachedmy face I would smother. I tried to struggle, but was held with a gripof steel. Finally, this slab of crystal came down to my nose, and seemedto split apart. I could hold on no longer, and with a mighty expirationblew the water up towards the ceiling, and drew in a frightfulsmothering breath of salt water, that I blew in turn upwards, and thenext breath I took in had some air with the water. I felt the watertickling the corners of my mouth, and receding slower and slower downmy face and neck. Then I think I must have become insensible until justbefore you entered the room. Of course there is something wrong withthe electric fittings, and there is a leak of electricity; but I thinkliquor is at the bottom of all this. I don't believe it would haveaffected me like this if I had not been soaked in whiskey. "

"If I were you, " I said, "I would leave whiskey alone. "

"I intend to, " he answered solemnly, "and baths too. "

A CASE OF FEVER. 

 "O, underneath the blood red sun, No bloodier deed was ever done! Nor fiercer retribution sought The hand that first red ruin wrought. "

This is the doctor's story--

The doctors on board the Atlantic liners are usually young men. They aregood-looking and entertaining as well, and generally they can play theviolin or some other instrument that is of great use at the inevitableconcert which takes place about the middle of the Atlantic. They areurbane, polite young men, and they chat pleasantly and nicely to theladies on board. I believe that the doctor on the Transatlantic steamerhas to be there on account of the steerage passengers. Of course thedoctor goes to the steerage; but I imagine, as a general thing, he doesnot spend any more time there than the rules of the service compel himto. The ladies, at least, would be unanimous in saying that the doctoris one of the most charming officials on board the ship. 

This doctor, who tells the story I am about to relate, was not like theusual Atlantic physician. He was older than the average, and, to judgeby his somewhat haggard, rugged face, had seen hard times and roughusage in different parts of the world. Why he came to settle down onan Atlantic steamer--a berth which is a starting-point rather than aterminus--I have no means of knowing. He never told us; but there hewas, and one night, as he smoked his pipe with us in the smoking-room, we closed the door, and compelled him to tell us a story. 

As a preliminary, he took out of his inside pocket a book, from which heselected a slip of creased paper, which had been there so long that itwas rather the worse for wear, and had to be tenderly handled. 

"As a beginning, " said the doctor, "I will read you what this slip ofpaper says. It is an extract from one of the United States GovernmentReports in the Indian department, and it relates to a case of fever, which caused the death of the celebrated Indian chief Wolf Tusk. 

"I am not sure that I am doing quite right in telling this story. Theremay be some risk for myself in relating it, and I don't know exactlywhat the United States Government might have in store for me if the truthcame to be known. In fact, I am not able to say whether I acted rightlyor wrongly in the matter I have to tell you about. You shall be the bestjudges of that. There is no question but Wolf Tusk was an old monster, and there is no question either that the men who dealt with him hadbeen grievously--but, then, there is no use in my giving you too manypreliminaries; each one will say for himself whether he would have actedas I did or not. I will make my excuses at the end of the story. " Thenhe read the slip of paper. I have not a copy of it, and have to quotefrom memory. It was the report of the physician who saw Wolf Tusk die, and it went on to say that about nine o'clock in the morning a heavy andunusual fever set in on that chief. He had been wounded in the battle ofthe day before, when he was captured, and the fever attacked all partsof his body. Although the doctor had made every effort in his power torelieve the Indian, nothing could stop the ravages of the fever. At fouro'clock in the afternoon, having been in great pain, and, during thelatter part, delirious, he died, and was buried near the spot where hehad taken ill. This was signed by the doctor. 

"What I have read you, " said the physician, folding up the paper again, and placing it in his pocket-book, "is strictly and accurately true, otherwise, of course, I would not have so reported to the Government. Wolf Tusk was the chief of a band of irreconcilables, who were now inone part of the West and now in another, giving a great deal of troubleto the authorities. Wolf Tusk and his band had splendid horses, and theynever attacked a force that outnumbered their own. In fact, they neverattacked anything where the chances were not twenty to one in theirfavour, but that, of course, is Indian warfare; and in this, Wolf Tuskwas no different from his fellows. 

"On one occasion Wolf Tusk and his band swooped down on a settlementwhere they knew that all the defenders were away, and no one but womenand children were left to meet them. Here one of the most atrociousmassacres of the West took place. Every woman and child in thesettlement was killed under circumstances of inconceivable brutality. The buildings, such as they were, were burnt down, and, when the menreturned, they found nothing but heaps of smouldering ruin. 

"Wolf Tusk and his band, knowing there would be trouble about this, hadmade for the broken ground where they could so well defend themselves. The alarm, however, was speedily given, and a company of cavalry fromthe nearest fort started in hot pursuit. 

"I was the physician who accompanied the troops. The men whose familieshad been massacred, and who were all mounted on swift horses, beggedpermission to go with the soldiers, and that permission was granted, because it was known that their leader would take them after Wolf Tuskon his own account, and it was thought better to have every one engagedin the pursuit under the direct command of the chief officer. 

"He divided his troop into three parts, one following slowly after WolfTusk, and the other two taking roundabout ways to head off the savagesfrom the broken ground and foothills from which no number of UnitedStates troops could have dislodged them. These flanking parties werepartly successful. They did not succeed in heading off the Indiansentirely, but one succeeded in changing their course, and throwing theIndians unexpectedly into the way of the other flanking party, when asharp battle took place, and, during its progress, we in the rear cameup. When the Indians saw our reinforcing party come towards them eachman broke away for himself and made for the wilderness. Wolf Tusk, whohad been wounded, and had his horse shot under him, did not succeed inescaping. The two flanking parties now having reunited with the mainbody, it was decided to keep the Indians on the run for a day or two atleast, and so a question arose as to the disposal of the wounded chief. He could not be taken with the fighting party; there were no soldiers tospare to take him back, and so the leader of the settlers said that asthey had had enough of war, they would convey him to the fort. Why thecommander allowed this to be done, I do not know. He must have realizedthe feelings of the settlers towards the man who massacred their wivesand children. However, the request of the settlers was acceded to, and Iwas ordered back also, as I had been slightly wounded. You can see themark here on my cheek, nothing serious; but the commander thought I hadbetter get back into the fort, as he was certain there would be no moreneed of my services. The Indians were on the run, and would make nofurther stand. 

"It was about three days' march from where the engagement had takenplace to the fort. Wolf Tusk was given one of the captured Indianhorses. I attended to the wound in his leg, and he was strapped on thehorse, so that there could be no possibility of his escaping. 

"We camped the first night in a little belt of timber that bordereda small stream, now nearly dry. In the morning I was somewhat rudelyawakened, and found myself tied hand and foot, with two or three of thesettlers standing over me. They helped me to my feet, then half carriedand half led me to a tree, where they tied me securely to the trunk. 

"'What are you going to do? What is the meaning of this?' I said to themin astonishment. 

"'Nothing, ' was the answer of the leader; 'that is, nothing, if you willsign a certain medical report which is to go to the Government. You willsee, from where you are, everything that is going to happen, and weexpect you to report truthfully; but we will take the liberty of writingthe report for you. 

"Then I noticed that Wolf Tusk was tied to a tree in a manner similar tomyself, and around him had been collected a quantity of firewood. Thisfirewood, was not piled up to his feet, but formed a circle at somedistance from him, so that the Indian would be slowly roasted. 

"There is no use in my describing what took place. When I tell you thatthey lit the fire at nine o'clock, and that it was not until four in theafternoon that Wolf Tusk died, you will understand the peculiar horrorof it. 

"'Now, ' said the leader to me when everything was over, ' here is thereport I have written out, ' and he read to me the report which I haveread to you. 

"'This dead villain has murdered our wives and our children. If I couldhave made his torture last for two weeks I would have done so. You havemade every effort to save him by trying to break loose, and you have notsucceeded. We are not going to harm you, even though you refuse to signthis report. You cannot bring him to life again, thank God, and all youcan do is to put more trouble on the heads of men who have already, through red devils like this, had more trouble than they can well standand keep sane. Will you sign the report?'

"I said I would, and I did. "

HOW THE CAPTAIN GOT HIS STEAMER OUT. 

 "On his own perticular well-wrought row, That he's straddled for ages-- Learnt its lay and its gages-- His style may seem queer, but permit him to know, The likeliest, sprightliest, manner to hoe. "

"There is nothing more certain than that some day we may have to recorda terrible disaster directly traceable to ocean racing. 

"The vivid account which one of our reporters gives in another columnof how the captain of the _Arrowic_ went blundering across the baryesterday in one of the densest fogs of the season is very interestingreading. Of course the account does not pretend to be anything more thanimaginary, for, until the _Arrowic_ reaches Queenstown, if she ever doesunder her present captain, no one can tell how much of luck was mixedwith the recklessness which took this steamer out into the Atlantic inthe midst of the thickest fog we have had this year. All that can beknown at present is, that, when the fog lifted, the splendid steamer_Dartonia_ was lying at anchor in the bay, having missed the tide, whilethe _Arrowic_ was nowhere to be seen. If the fog was too thick for the_Dartonia_ to cross the bar, how, then, did the captain of the _Arrowic_get his boat out? The captain of the _Arrowic_ should be taught toremember that there are other things to be thought of beside thedefeating of a rival steamer. He should be made to understand that hehas under his charge a steamer worth a million and a half of dollars, and a cargo probably nearly as valuable. Still, he might have lost hisship and cargo, and we would have had no word to say. That concerns thesteamship company and the owners of the cargo; but he had also in hiscare nearly a thousand human lives, and these he should not be allowedto juggle with in order to beat all the rival steamers in the world. "

The above editorial is taken from the columns of the New York _DailyMentor_. The substance of it had been cabled across to London and itmade pleasant reading for the captain of the _Arrowic_ at Queenstown. The captain didn't say anything about it; he was not a talkative man. Probably he explained to his chief, if the captain of an ocean liner canpossibly have a chief, how he got his vessel out of New York harbour ina fog; but, if he did, the explanation was never made public, and sohere's an account of it published for the first time, and it may givea pointer to the captain of the rival liner _Dartonia_. I may say, however, that the purser was not as silent as the captain. He was veryindignant at what he called the outrage of the New York paper, and saida great many unjustifiable things about newspaper men. He knew I was anewspaper man myself, and probably that is the reason he launched hismaledictions against the fraternity at my head. 

"Just listen to that wretched penny-a-liner, " he said, rapping savagelyon the paper with the back of his hand. 

I intimated mildly that they paid more than a penny a line for newspaperwork in New York, but he said that wasn't the point. In fact thepurser was too angry to argue calmly. He was angry the whole way fromQueenstown to Liverpool. 

"Here, " he said, "is some young fellow, who probably never saw theinside of a ship in his life, and yet he thinks he can tell the captainof a great ocean liner what should he done and what shouldn't. Justthink of the cheek of it. "

"I don't see any cheek in it, " I said, as soothingly as possible. "Youdon't mean to pretend to argue, at this time of day that a newspaper mandoes _not_ know how to conduct every other business as well as his own. "

But the purser did make that very contention, although of course he mustbe excused, for, as I said, he was not in a good temper. 

"Newspaper men, " he continued, "act as if they did know everything. Theypretend in their papers that every man thinks he knows how to run anewspaper or a hotel. But look at their own case. See the advice theygive to statesmen. See how they would govern Germany, or England, orany other country under the sun. Does a big bank get into trouble, the newspaper man at once informs the financiers how they should haveconducted their business. Is there a great railway smash-up, thenewspaper man shows exactly how it could have been avoided if he had hadthe management of the railway. Is there a big strike, the newspaper mansteps in. He tells both sides what they should do. If every man thinkshe can run a hotel, or a newspaper--and I am sure most men could run anewspaper as well as the newspapers are conducted now--the conceit ofthe ordinary man is nothing to the conceit of the newspaper man. He notonly thinks he can run a newspaper and a hotel, but every other businessunder the sun. "

"And how do you know he can't, " I asked. 

But the purser would not listen to reason. He contended that a captainwho had crossed the ocean hundreds of times and for years and years hadworked his way up, had just as big a sense of responsibility for hispassengers and his ship and his cargo as any newspaper man in New Yorkcould have, and this palpably absurd contention he maintained all theway to Liverpool. 

When a great ocean racer is making ready to put out to sea, there canhardly be imagined a more bustling scene than that which presents itselfon the deck and on the wharf. There is the rush of passengers, thebanging about of luggage, the hurrying to and fro on the decks, the roarof escaping steam, the working of immense steam cranes hoisting andlowering great bales of merchandise and luggage from the wharf to thehold, and here and there in quiet corners, away from the rush, aretearful people bidding good-bye to one another. 

The _Arrowic_ and the _Dartonia_ left on the same day and within thesame hour, from wharfs that were almost adjoining each other. We onboard the _Arrowic_ could see the same bustle and stir on board the_Dartonia_ that we ourselves were in the midst of. 

The _Dartonia_ was timed to leave about half an hour ahead of us, and weheard the frantic ringing of her last bell warning everybody to get onshore who were not going to cross the ocean. Then the great steamerbacked slowly out from her wharf. 

Of course all of us who were going on the _Arrowic_ were warm championsof that ship as the crack ocean racer; but, as the _Dartonia_ movedbackwards with slow stately majesty, all her colours flying, and herdecks black with passengers crowding to the rail and gazing towards us, we could not deny that she was a splendid vessel, and "even the ranks ofTuscany could scarce forbear a cheer. " Once out in the stream her twinscrews enabled her to turn around almost without the help of tugs, andjust as our last bell was ringing she moved off down the bay. Then webacked slowly out in the same fashion, and, although we had not theadvantage of seeing ourselves, we saw a great sight on the wharf, whichwas covered with people, ringing with cheers, and white with the flutterof handkerchiefs. 

As we headed down stream the day began to get rather thick. It had beengloomy all morning, and by the time we reached the Statue of Libertyit was so foggy that one could hardly see three boats' length ahead orbehind. All eyes were strained to catch a glimpse of the _Dartonia_, butnothing of her was visible. Shortly after, the fog came down in earnestand blotted out everything. There was a strong wind blowing, and thevapour, which was cold and piercing, swept the deck with drippingmoisture. Then we came to a standstill. The ship's bell was rungcontinually forward and somebody was whanging on the gong towards thestern. Everybody knew that, if this sort of thing lasted long, we wouldnot get over the bar that tide, and consequently everybody felt annoyed, for this delay would lengthen the trip, and people, as a general thing, do not take passage on an ocean racer with the idea of getting in a daylate. Suddenly the fog lifted clear from shore to shore. Then we sawsomething that was not calculated to put our minds at ease. A bigthree-masted vessel, with full sail, dashed past us only a very fewyards behind the stern of the mammoth steamer. 

"Look at that blundering idiot, " said the purser to me, "rushing fullspeed over crowded New York Bay in a fog as thick as pea-soup. A captainwho would do a thing like that ought to be hanged. "

Before the fog settled down again we saw the _Dartonia_ with her anchorchain out a few hundred yards to our left, and, farther on, one of thebig German steamers, also at anchor. 

In the short time that the fog was lifted our own vessel made someprogress towards the bar. Then the thickness came down again. A nauticalpassenger, who had crossed many times, came aft to where I was standing, and said--

"Do you notice what the captain is trying to do?"

"Well, " I answered, "I don't see how anybody can do anything in weatherlike this. "

"There is a strong wind blowing, " continued the nautical passenger, "andthe fog is liable to lift for a few minutes at a time. If it lifts oftenenough our captain is going to get us over the bar. It will be rather asharp bit of work if he succeeds. You notice that the _Dartonia_ hasthrown out her anchor. She is evidently going to wait where she is untilthe fog clears away entirely. "

So with that we two went forward to see what was being done. The captainstood on the bridge and beside him the pilot, but the fog was now sothick we could hardly see them, although we stood close by, on the pieceof deck in front of the wheelhouse. The almost incessant clanging ofthe bell was kept up, and in the pauses we heard answering bells fromdifferent points in the thick fog. Then, for a second time, and withequal suddenness, the fog lifted ahead of us. Behind we could not seeeither the _Dartonia_ or the German steamer. Our own boat, however, wentfull speed ahead and kept up the pace till the fog shut down again. Thecaptain now, in pacing the bridge, had his chronometer in his hand, andthose of us who were at the front frequently looked at our watches, forof course the nautical passenger knew just how late it was possible forus to cross the bar. 

"I am afraid, " said the passenger, "he is not going to succeed. " But, ashe said this, the fog lifted for the third time, and again the mammothsteamer forged ahead. 

"If this clearance will only last for ten minutes, " said the nauticalpassenger, "we are all right. " But the fog, as if it had heard him, closed down on us again damper and thicker than ever. 

"We are just at the bar, " said the nautical passenger, "and if thisdoesn't clear up pretty soon the vessel will have to go back. "

The captain kept his eyes fixed on the chronometer in his hand. Thepilot tried to peer ahead, but everything was a thick white blank. 

"Ten minutes more and it is too late, " said the nautical passenger. 

There was a sudden rift in the fog that gave a moment's hope, but itclosed down again. A minute afterwards, with a suddenness that wasstrange, the whole blue ocean lay before us. Then full steam ahead. The fog still was thick behind us in New York Bay. We saw it far aheadcoming in from the ocean. All at once the captain closed his chronometerwith a snap. We were over the bar and into the Atlantic, and that is howthe captain got the _Arrowic_ out of New York Bay. 

MY STOWAWAY. 

 "Ye can play yer jokes on Nature, An' play 'em slick, She'll grin a grin, but, landsakes, friend, Look out fer the kick!"

One night about eleven o'clock I stood at the stern of that fineAtlantic steamship, the _City of Venice, _ which was ploughing its waythrough the darkness towards America. I leaned on the rounded bulwarkand enjoyed a smoke as I gazed on the luminous trail the wheel wasmaking in the quiet sea. Some one touched me on the shoulder, saying, "Beg pardon, sir;" and, on straightening up, I saw in the dim light aman whom at first I took to be one of the steerage passengers. I thoughthe wanted to get past me, for the room was rather restricted in thepassage between the aft wheelhouse and the stern, and I moved aside. Theman looked hurriedly to one side and then the other and, approaching, said in a whisper, "I'm starving, sir!"

"Why don't you go and get something to eat, then? Don't they give youplenty forward?"

"I suppose they do, sir; but I'm a stowaway. I got on at Liverpool. Whatlittle I took with me is gone, and for two days I've had nothing. "

"Come with me. I'll take you to the steward, he'll fix you all right. "

"Oh, no, no, no, " he cried, trembling with excitement. "If you speak toany of the officers or crew I'm lost. I assure you, sir, I'm an honestman, I am indeed, sir. It's the old story--nothing but starvation athome, so my only chance seemed to be to get this way to America. If I'mcaught I shall get dreadful usage and will be taken back and put injail. "

"Oh, you're mistaken. The officers are all courteous gentlemen. "

"Yes, to you cabin passengers they are. But to a stowaway--that's adifferent matter. If you can't help me, sir, please don't inform on me. "

"How can I help you but by speaking to the captain or purser?"

"Get me a morsel to eat. "

"Where were you hid?"

"Right here, sir, in this place, " and he put his hand on the squaredeck-edifice beside us. This seemed to be a spare wheel-house, used ifanything went wrong with the one in front. It had a door on each sideand there were windows all round it. At present it was piled full ofcane folding steamer chairs and other odds and ends. 

"I crawl in between the chairs and the wall and get under that piece oftarpaulin. "

"Well, you're sure of being caught, for the first fine day all thesechairs will be taken out and the deck steward can't miss you. "

The man sighed as I said this and admitted the chances were much againsthim. Then, starting up, he cried, "Poverty is the great crime. If Ihad stolen some one else's money I would have been able to take cabinpassage instead of--"

"If you weren't caught. "

"Well, if I were caught, what then? I would be well fed and taken careof. "

"Oh, they'd take _care_ of you. "

"The waste food in this great ship would feed a hundred hungry wretcheslike me. Does my presence keep the steamer back a moment of time? No. Well, who is harmed by my trying to better myself in a new world? Noone. I am begging for a crust from the lavish plenty, all because I amstruggling to be honest. It is only when I become a thief that I am outof danger of starvation--caught or free. "

"There, there; now, don't speak so loud or you'll have some one here. You hang round and I'll bring you some provender. What would you like tohave? Poached eggs on toast, roast turkey, or--"

The wretch sank down at my feet as I said this, and, recognising thecruelty of it, I hurried down into the saloon and hunted up a stewardwho had not yet turned in. "Steward, " I said, "can you get me a fewsandwiches or anything to eat at this late hour?"

"Yessir, certainly, sir; beef or 'am, sir?"

"Both, and a cup of coffee, please. "

"Well, sir, I'm afraid there's no coffee, sir; but I could make you apot of tea in a moment, sir. "

"All right, and bring them to my room, please?"

"Yessir. "

In a very short time there was that faint steward rap at the state-roomdoor and a most appetising tray-load was respectfully placed at myservice. 

When the waiter had gone I hurried up the companion-way with much theair of a man who is stealing fowls, and I found my stowaway just in theposition I had left him. 

"Now, pitch in, " I said. "I'll stand guard forward here, and, if youhear me cough, strike for cover. I'll explain the tray matter if it'sfound. "

He simply said, "Thank you, sir, " and I went forward. When I came backthe tray had been swept clean and the teapot emptied. My stowaway wasmaking for his den when I said, "How about to-morrow?"

He answered, "This'll do me for a couple of days. "

"Nonsense. I'll have a square meal for you here in the corner of thiswheel-house, so that you can get at it without trouble. I'll leave itabout this time to-morrow night. "

"You won't tell any one, any one at all, sir?"

"No. At least, I'll think over the matter, and if I see a way out I'lllet you know. "

"God bless you, sir. "

I turned the incident over in my mind a good deal that night, and Ialmost made a resolution to take Cupples into my confidence. RogerCupples, a lawyer of San Francisco, sat next me at table, and with thefreedom of wild Westerners we were already well acquainted, althoughonly a few days out. Then I thought of putting a supposititious case tothe captain--he was a thorough gentleman--and if he spoke generouslyabout the supposititious case I would spring the real one on him. Thestowaway had impressed me by his language as being a man worth doingsomething for. 

Nest day I was glad to see that it was rainy. There would be no demandfor ship chairs that day. I felt that real sunshiny weather wouldcertainly unearth, or unchair, my stowaway. I met Cupples on deck, andwe walked a few rounds together. 

At last, Cupples, who had been telling me some stories of court trialsin San Francisco, said, "Let's sit down and wrap up. This deck's too wetto walk on. "

"All the seats are damp, " I said. 

"I'll get out my steamer chair. Steward, " he cried to the deck stewardwho was shoving a mop back and forth, "get me my chair. There's a tag onit, 'Berth 96. '"

"No, no, " I cried hastily; "let's go into the cabin. It's raining. "

"Only a drizzle. Won't hurt you at sea, you know. "

By this time the deck steward was hauling down chairs trying to find No. 96, which I felt sure would be near the bottom. I could not control myanxiety as the steward got nearer and nearer the tarpaulin. At last Icried--

"Steward, never mind that chair; take the first two that come handy. "

Cupples looked astonished, and, as we sat down, I said--

"I have something to tell you, and I trust you will say nothing about itto any one else. There's a man under those chairs. "

The look that came into the lawyer's face showed that he thought medemented; but, when I told him the whole story, the judicial expressioncame on, and he said, shaking his head--

"That's bad business. "

"I know it. "

"Yes, but it's worse than you have any idea of. I presume that you don'tknow what section 4738 of the Revised Statutes says?"

"No; I don't. "

"Well, it is to the effect that any person or persons, who wilfully orwith malice aforethought or otherwise, shall aid, abet, succor orcherish, either directly or indirectly or by implication, any person whofeloniously or secretly conceals himself on any vessel, barge, brig, schooner, bark, clipper, steamship or other craft touching at or comingwithin the jurisdiction of these United States, the said person'spurpose being the defrauding of the revenue of, or the escaping any orall of the just legal dues exacted by such vessel, barge, etc. , theperson so aiding or abetting, shall in the eye of the law be consideredas accomplice before, during and after the illegal act, and shall insuch case be subject to the penalties accruing thereunto, to wit--a fineof not more than five thousand dollars, or imprisonment of not more thantwo years--or both at the option of the judge before whom the party soaccused is convicted. "

"Great heavens! is that really so?"

"Well, it isn't word for word, but that is the purport. Of course, ifI had my books here, I--why, you've doubtless heard of the case of thePacific Steamship Company _versus_ Cumberland. I was retained on behalfof the company. Now all Cumberland did was to allow the man--he wassent up for two years--to carry his valise on board, but we proved theintent. Like a fool, he boasted of it, but the steamer brought back theman, and Cumberland got off with four thousand dollars and costs. Nevergot out of that scrape less than ten thousand dollars. Then again, thesteamship _Peruvian versus_ McNish; that is even more to the--"

"See here, Cupples. Come with me to-night and see the man. If you heardhim talk you would see the inhumanity--"

"Tush. I'm not fool enough to mix up in such a matter, and look here, you'll have to work it pretty slick if you get yourself out. The manwill be caught as sure as fate; then knowingly or through fright he'llincriminate you. "

"What would you do if you were in my place?"

"My dear sir, don't put it that way. It's a reflection on both myjudgment and my legal knowledge. I _couldn't_ be in such a scrape. But, as a lawyer--minus the fee--I'll tell you what _you_ should do. Youshould give the man up before witnesses--before _witnesses_. I'll beone of them myself. Get as many of the cabin passengers as you like outhere, to-day, and let the officers search. If he charges you with whatthe law terms support, deny it, and call attention to the fact that youhave given information. By the way, I would give written information andkeep a copy. "

"I gave the man my word not to inform on him and so I can't do itto-day, but I'll tell him of it to-night. "

"And have him commit suicide or give himself up first and incriminateyou? Nonsense. Just release yourself from your promise. That's all. He'll trust you. "

"Yes, poor wretch, I'm afraid he will. "

About ten o'clock that night I resolved to make another appeal toRoger Cupples to at least stand off and hear the man talk. Cupples'state-room, No. 96, was in the forward part of the steamer, down a longpassage and off a short side passage. Mine was aft the cabin. The doorof 96 was partly open, and inside an astonishing sight met my gaze. 

There stood my stowaway. 

He was evidently admiring himself in the glass, and with a brush wastouching up his face with dark paint here and there. When he put on awoe-begone look he was the stowaway; when he chuckled to himself he wasRoger Cupples, Esq. 

The moment the thing dawned on me I quietly withdrew and went up theforward companion way. Soon Cupples came cautiously up and seeing theway clear scudded along in the darkness and hid in the aft wheelhouse. I saw the whole thing now. It was a scheme to get me to make a foolof myself some fine day before the rest of the passengers and have astanding joke on me. I walked forward. The first officer was on duty. 

"I have reason to believe, " I said, "that there is a stowaway in the aftwheelhouse. "

Quicker than it takes me to tell it a detachment of sailors were sentaft under the guidance of the third mate. I went through the saloonand smoking room, and said to the gentlemen who were playing cards andreading--"There's a row upstairs of some kind. "

We were all on deck before the crew had surrounded the wheelhouse. Therewas a rattle of steamer folded chairs, a pounce by the third mate, andout came the unfortunate Cupples, dragged by the collar. 

"Hold on; let go. This is a mistake. "

"You can't both hold on and let go, " said Stalker, of Indiana. 

"Come out o' this, " cried the mate, jerking him forward. 

With a wrench the stowaway tore himself free and made a dash for thecompanion way. A couple of sailors instantly tripped him up. 

"Let go of me; I'm a cabin passenger, " cried Cupples. 

"Bless me!" I cried in astonishment. "This isn't you, Cupples? Why, I acted on your own advice and that of Revised Statutes, No. Whatever-they-were. "

"Well, act on my advice again, " cried the infuriated Cupples, "and goto--the hold. "

However, he was better in humour the next day, and stood treat allround. We found, subsequently, that Cupples was a New York actor, and atthe entertainment given for the benefit of the sailors' orphans, a fewnights after, he recited a piece in costume that just melted the ladies. It was voted a wonderfully touching performance, and he called it "TheStowaway. "

THE PURSER'S STORY. 

 "O Mother-nature, kind in touch and tone. Act as we may, thou clearest to thine own"

I don't know that I should tell this story. 

When the purser related it to me I know it was his intention to write itout for a magazine. In fact he _had_ written it, and I understand thata noted American magazine had offered to publish it, but I have watchedthat magazine for over three years and I have not yet seen the purser'sstory in it. I am sorry that I did not write the story at the time; thenperhaps I should have caught the exquisite peculiarities of the purser'sway of telling it. I find myself gradually forgetting the story andI write it now in case I _shall_ forget it, and then be harassed allthrough after life by the remembrance of the forgetting. 

There is no position more painful and tormenting than the consciousnessof having had something worth the telling, which, in spite of allmental effort, just eludes the memory. It hovers nebulously beyond theoutstretched finger-ends of recollection, and, like the fish that getsoff the hook, becomes more and more important as the years fade. 

Perhaps, when you read this story, you will say there is nothing in itafter all. Well, that will be my fault, then, and I can only regret Idid not write down the story when it was told to me, for as I sat in thepurser's room that day it seemed to me I had never heard anything moregraphic. 

The purser's room was well forward on the Atlantic steamship. From oneof the little red-curtained windows you could look down to where thesteerage passengers were gathered on the deck. When the bow of the greatvessel plunged down into the big Atlantic waves, the smother of foamthat shot upwards would be borne along with the wind, and spatter likerain against the purser's window. Something about this intermittentpatter on the pane reminded the purser of the story, and so he told itto me. 

There were a great many steerage passengers coming on at Queenstown, he said, and there was quite a hurry getting them aboard. Two officersstood at each side of the gangway and took the tickets as the peoplecrowded forward. They generally had their tickets in their hands andthere was usually no trouble. I stood there and watched them comingaboard. Suddenly there was a fuss and a jam. "What is it?" I asked theofficer. 

"Two girls, sir, say they have lost their tickets. "

I took the girls aside and the stream of humanity poured in. Onewas about fourteen and the other, perhaps, eight years old. The littleone had a firm grip of the elder's hand and she was crying. The largergirl looked me straight in the eye as I questioned her. 

"Where's your tickets?"

"We lost thim, sur. "

"Where?"

"I dunno, sur. "

"Do you think you have them about you or in your luggage?"

"We've no luggage, sur. "

"Is this your sister?"

"She is, sur. "

"Are your parents aboard?"

"They are not, sur. "

"Are you all alone?"

"We are, sur. "

"You can't go without your tickets. "

The younger one began to cry the more, and the elder answered, "Mabbe wecan foind thim, sur. "

They were bright-looking, intelligent children, and the larger girl gaveme such quick, straightforward answers, and it seemed so impossible thatchildren so young should attempt to cross the ocean without tickets thatI concluded to let them come, and resolved to get at the truth on theway over. 

Next day I told the deck steward to bring the children to my room. 

They came in just as I saw them the day before, the elder with a tightgrip on the hand of the younger, whose eyes I never caught sight of. Shekept them resolutely on the floor, while the other looked straight at mewith her big, blue eyes. 

"Well, have you found your tickets?"

"No, sur. "

"What is your name?"

"Bridget, sur. "

"Bridget what?"

"Bridget Mulligan, sur. "

"Where did you live?"

"In Kildormey, sur. "

"Where did you get your tickets?"

"From Mr. O'Grady, sur. "

Now, I knew Kildormey as well as I know this ship, and I knew O'Gradywas our agent there. I would have given a good deal at that moment for afew words with him. But I knew of no Mulligans in Kildormey, although, of course, there might be. I was born myself only a few miles from theplace. Now, thinks I to myself, if these two children can baffle apurser who has been twenty years on the Atlantic when they say they camefrom his own town almost, by the powers they deserve their passage overthe ocean. I had often seen grown people try to cheat their way across, and I may say none of them succeeded on _my_ ships. 

"Where's your father and mother?"

"Both dead, sur. "

"Who was your father?"

"He was a pinshoner, sur. "

"Where did he draw his pension?"

"I donno, sur. "

"Where did you get the money to buy your tickets?"

"The neighbors, sur, and Mr. O'Grady helped, sur. "

"What neighbours? Name them. "

She unhesitatingly named a number, many of whom I knew; and as that hadfrequently been done before, I saw no reason to doubt the girl's word. 

"Now, " I said, "I want to speak with your sister. You may go. "

The little one held on to her sister's hand and cried bitterly. 

When the other was gone, I drew the child towards me and questioned her, but could not get a word in reply. 

For the next day or two I was bothered somewhat by a big Irishman namedO'Donnell, who was a fire-brand among the steerage passengers. He_would_ harangue them at all hours on the wrongs of Ireland, and thedesirability of blowing England out of the water; and as we had manyEnglish and German passengers, as well as many peaceable Irishmen, whocomplained of the constant ructions O'Donnell was kicking up, I wasforced to ask him to keep quiet. He became very abusive one day andtried to strike me. I had him locked up until he came to his senses. 

While I was in my room, after this little excitement, Mrs. O'Donnellcame to me and pleaded for her rascally husband. I had noticed herbefore. She was a poor, weak, broken-hearted woman whom her husband madea slave of, and I have no doubt beat her when he had the chance. She wasevidently mortally afraid of him, and a look from him seemed enough totake the life out of her. He was a worse tyrant, in his own small way, than England had ever been. 

"Well, Mrs. O'Donnell, " I said, "I'll let your husband go, but he willhave to keep a civil tongue in his head and keep his hands off people. I've seen men, for less, put in irons during a voyage and handed over tothe authorities when they landed. And now I want you to do me a favour. There are two children on board without tickets. I don't believe theyever had tickets, and I want to find out. You're a kind-hearted woman, Mrs. O'Donnell, and perhaps the children will answer you. " I had the twocalled in, and they came hand in hand as usual. The elder looked at meas if she couldn't take her eyes off my face. 

"Look at this woman, " I said to her; "she wants to speak to you. Ask hersome questions about herself, " I whispered to Mrs. O'Donnell. 

"Acushla, " said Mrs. O'Donnell with infinite tenderness, taking thedisengaged hand of the elder girl. "Tell me, darlint, where yees arefrom. "

I suppose I had spoken rather harshly to them before, although I hadnot intended to do so, but however that may be, at the first words ofkindness from the lips of their countrywoman both girls broke down andcried as if their hearts would break. The poor woman drew them towardsher, and, stroking the fair hair of the elder girl, tried to comforther while the tears streamed down her own cheeks. "Hush, acushla; hush, darlints, shure the gentlemin's not goin' to be hard wid two poorchildher going to a strange country. "

Of course it would never do to admit that the company could carryemigrants free through sympathy, and I must have appeared ratherhard-hearted when I told Mrs. O'Donnell that I would have to take themback with me to Cork. I sent the children away, and then arranged withMrs. O'Donnell to see after them during the voyage, to which she agreedif her husband would let her. I could get nothing from the girl exceptthat she had lost her ticket; and when we sighted New York, I took themthrough the steerage and asked the passengers if any one would assumecharge of the children and pay their passage. No one would do so. 

"Then, " I said, "these children will go back with me to Cork; and if Ifind they never bought tickets, they will have to go to jail. "

There were groans and hisses at that, and I gave the children in chargeof the cabin stewardess, with orders to see that they did not leavethe ship. I was at last convinced that they had no friends among thesteerage passengers. I intended to take them ashore myself before wesailed; and I knew of good friends in New York who would see to thelittle waifs, although I did not propose that any of the emigrantsshould know that an old bachelor purser was fool enough to pay for thepassage of a couple of unknown Irish children. 

We landed our cabin passengers, and the tender came alongside to takethe steerage passengers to Castle Garden. I got the stewardess to bringout the children, and the two stood and watched every one get aboard thetender. 

Just as the tender moved away, there was a wild shriek among the crowdedpassengers, and Mrs. O'Donnell flung her arms above her head and criedin the most heart-rending tone I ever heard--"Oh, my babies, mybabies. "

"Kape quiet, ye divil, " hissed O'Donnell, grasping her by the arm. Theterrible ten days' strain had been broken at last, and the poor womansank in a heap at his feet. 

"Bring back that boat, " I shouted, and the tender came back. 

"Come aboard here, O'Donnell. "

"I'll not!" he yelled, shaking his fist at me. 

"Bring that man aboard. "

They soon brought him back, and I gave his wife over to the care of thestewardess. She speedily rallied, and hugged and kissed her children asif she would never part with them. 

"So, O'Donnell, these are your children?"

"Yis, they are; an' I'd have ye know I'm in a frae country, bedad, and Idare ye to lay a finger on me. "

"Don't dare too much, " I said, "or I'll show you what can be done in afree country. Now, if I let the children go, will you send their passagemoney to the company when you get it?"

"I will, " he answered, although I knew he lied. 

"Well, " I said, "for Mrs. O'Donnell's sake, I'll let them go; and I mustcongratulate any free country that gets a citizen like you. "

Of course I never heard from O'Donnell again. 

MISS MCMILLAN. 

 "Come hop, come skip, fair children all, Old Father Time is in the hall. He'll take you on his knee, and stroke Your golden hair to silver bright, Your rosy cheeks to wrinkles white"

In the saloon of the fine Transatlantic liner the _Climatus_, two longtables extend from the piano at one end to the bookcase at the other endof the ample dining-room. 

On each side of this main saloon are four small tables intended toaccommodate six or seven persons. At one of these tables sat a pleasantparty of four ladies and three gentlemen. Three ladies were fromDetroit, and one from Kent, in England. At the head of the table sat Mr. Blair, the frosts of many American winters in his hair and beard, whilethe lines of care in his ragged, cheerful Scottish face told of a lifeof business crowned with generous success. 

Mr. Waters, a younger merchant, had all the alert vivacity of thepushing American. He had the distinguished honour of sitting oppositeme at the small table. Blair and Waters occupied the same room, No. 27. The one had crossed the Atlantic more than fifty times, the other nearlythirty. Those figures show the relative proportion of their businessexperience. 

The presence of Mr. Blair gave to our table a sort of patriarchaldignity that we all appreciated. If a louder burst of laughter thanusual came from where we sat and the other passengers looked inquiringlyour way the sedate and self-possessed face of Mr. Blair kept us incountenance, and we, who had given way to undue levity, felt ourselvesenshrouded by an atmosphere of genial seriousness. This prevented ourtable from getting the reputation of being funny or frivolous. 

Some remark that Blair made brought forth the following extraordinarystatement from Waters, who told it with the air of a man exposing thepretensions of a whited sepulchre. 

"Now, before this voyage goes any further, " he began, "I have a seriousduty to perform which I can shirk no longer, unpleasant though it be. Mr. Blair and myself occupy the same state-room. Into that state-roomhas been sent a most lovely basket of flowers. It is not an ordinarybasket of flowers, I assure you, ladies. There is a beautiful floralarch over a bed of colour, and I believe there is some tender sentimentconnected with the display;--'Bon Voyage, ' 'Auf Wiedersehen, ' or somesuch motto marked out in red buds. Now those flowers are not for me. Ithink, therefore, that Mr. Blair owes it to this company, which has sounanimously placed him at the head of the table, to explain how it comesthat an elderly gentleman gets such a handsome floral tribute sent himfrom some unknown person in New York. "

We all looked at Mr. Blair, who gazed with imperturbability at Waters. 

"If you had all crossed with Waters as often as I have you would knowthat he is subject to attacks like that. He means well, but occasionallyhe gives way in the deplorable manner you have just witnessed. Now allthere is of it consists in this--a basket of flowers has been sent (nodoubt by mistake) to our state-room. There is nothing but a card on itwhich says 'Room 27. ' Steward, " he cried, "would you go to room 27, bring that basket of flowers, and set it on this table. We may as wellall have the benefit of them. "

The steward soon returned with a large and lovely basket of flowers, which he set on the table, shoving the caster and other things aside tomake room for it. 

We all admired it very much, and the handsome young lady on my leftasked Mr. Blair's permission to take one of the roses for her own. "Now, mind you, " said Blair, "I cannot grant a flower from the basket, for yousee it is as much the property of Waters as of myself, for all of hisvirtuous indignation. It was sent to the room, and he is one of theoccupants. The flowers have evidently been misdirected. "

The lady referred to took it upon herself to purloin the flower shewanted. As she did so a card came in view with the words written in amasculine hand--

 To Miss McMillan, With the loving regards of Edwin J--

"Miss McMillan!" cried the lady; "I wonder if she is on board? I'd giveanything to know. "

"We'll have a glance at the passenger list, " said Waters. 

Down among the M's on the long list of cabin passengers appeared thename "Miss McMillan. "

"Now, " said I, "it seems to me that the duty devolves on both Blair andWaters to spare no pains in delicately returning those flowers to theirproper owner. _I_ think that both have been very remiss in not doing solong ago. They should apologise publicly to the young lady for havingdeprived her of the offering for a day and a half, and then I think theyowe an apology to this table for the mere pretence that any saneperson in New York or elsewhere would go to the trouble of sendingeither of them a single flower. "

"There will be no apology from me, " said Waters. "If I do not receivethe thanks of Miss McMillan, it will be because good deeds are rarelyrecognised in this world. I think it must be evident, even to thelimited intelligence of my journalistic friend across the table, thatMr. Blair intended to keep those flowers in his state-room, and--ofcourse I make no direct charges--the concealment of that card certainlylooks bad. It may have been concealed by the sender of the flowers, butto me it looks bad. "

"Of course, " said Blair dryly, "to you it looks bad. To the pure, etc. "

"Now, " said the sentimental lady on my left, "while you gentlemen arewasting the time in useless talk the lady is without her roses. Thereis one thing that you all seem to miss. It is not the mere value of thebouquet. There is a subtle perfume about an offering like this moredelicate than that which Nature gave the flowers--"

"Hear, hear, " broke in Waters. 

"I told you, " said Blair aside, "the kind of fellow Waters is. He thinksnothing of interrupting a lady. "

"Order, both of you!" I cried, rapping on the table; "the lady fromEngland has the floor. "

"What I was going to say--"

"When Waters interrupted you. "

"When Mr. Waters interrupted me I was going to say that there seems tome a romantic tinge to this incident that you old married men cannot beexpected to appreciate. "

I looked with surprise at Waters, while he sank back in his seat withthe resigned air of a man in the hands of his enemies. We had both beencarefully concealing the fact that we were married men, and the bluntannouncement of the lady was a painful shock. Waters gave a side nod atBlair, as much as to say, "He's given it away. " I looked reproachfullyat my old friend at the head of the table, but he seemed to be absorbedin what our sentimental lady was saying. 

"It is this, " she continued. "Here is a young lady. Her lover sendsher a basket. There may be some hidden meaning that she alone willunderstand in the very flowers chosen, or in the arrangement of them. The flowers, let us suppose, never reach their destination. The messageis unspoken, or, rather, spoken, but unheard. The young lady grieves atthe apparent neglect, and then, in her pride, resents it. She does notwrite, and he knows not why. The mistake may be discovered too late, andall because a basket of flowers has been missent. "

"Now, Blair, " said Waters, "if anything can make you do the square thingsurely that appeal will. "

"I shall not so far forget what is due to myself and to the dignity ofthis table as to reply to our erratic friend. Here is what I propose todo--first catch our hare. Steward, can you find out for me at what tableand at what seat Miss McMillan is?"

While the steward was gone on his errand Mr. Blair proceeded. 

"I will become acquainted with her. McMillan is a good Scotch name andBlair is another. On that as a basis I think we can speedily form anacquaintance. I shall then in a casual manner ask her if she knows ayoung man by the name of Edwin J. , and I shall tell you what effect themention of the name has on her. "

"Now, as part owner in the flowers up to date, I protest against that. Iinsist that Miss McMillan be brought to this table, and that we all hearexactly what is said to her, " put in Mr. Waters. 

Nevertheless we agreed that Mr. Blair's proposal was a good one and themajority sanctioned it. 

Meanwhile our sentimental lady had been looking among the crowd for theunconscious Miss McMillan. 

"I think I have found her, " she whispered to me. "Do you see thathandsome girl at the captain's table. Really the handsomest girl onboard. "

"I thought that distinction rested with our own table. "

"Now, please pay attention. Do you see how pensive she is, with hercheek resting on her hand? I am sure she is thinking of Edwin. "

"I wouldn't bet on that, " I replied. "There is considerable motion justnow, and indications of a storm. The pensiveness may have other causes. "

Here the steward returned and reported that Miss McMillan had notyet appeared at table, but had her meals taken to her room by thestewardess. 

Blair called to the good-natured, portly stewardess of the _Climatus_, who at that moment was passing through the saloon. 

"Is Miss McMillan ill?" he asked. 

"No, not ill, " replied Mrs. Kay; "but she seems very much depressed atleaving home, and she has not left her room since we started. "

"There!" said our sentimental lady, triumphantly. 

"I would like very much to see her, " said Mr. Blair; "I have some goodnews for her. "

"I will ask her to come out. It will do her good, " said the stewardess, as she went away. 

In a few moments she appeared, and, following her, came an old woman, with white hair, and her eyes concealed by a pair of spectacles. 

"Miss McMillan, " said the stewardess, "this is Mr. Blair, who wanted tospeak to you. "

Although Mr. Blair was, as we all were, astonished to see our mythicalyoung lady changed into a real old woman, he did not lose hisequanimity, nor did his kindly face show any surprise, but he evidentlyforgot the part he had intended to play. 

"You will pardon me for troubling you, Miss McMillan, " he said, "butthis basket of flowers was evidently intended for you, and was sent tomy room by mistake. "

Miss McMillan did not look at the flowers, but gazed long at the cardwith the writing on it, and as she did so one tear and then anotherstole down the wrinkled face from behind the glasses. 

"There is no mistake, is there?" asked Mr. Blair. "You know the writer. "

"There is no mistake--no mistake, " replied Miss McMillan in a low voice, "he is a very dear and kind friend. " Then, as if unable to trust herselffurther, she took the flowers and hurriedly said, "Thank you, " and leftus. 

"There, " I said to the lady on my left, "your romance turns out to benothing after all. "

"No, sir, " she cried with emphasis; "the romance is there, and very muchmore of a romance than if Miss McMillan was a young and silly girl oftwenty. "

Perhaps she was right.