nd felt a new
affection for it, as he reflected that she was sleeping there.

The two men commenced their breakfast in silence, the skipper eating
with a zest which caused the mate to allude impatiently to the last
break-fasts of condemned men.

"Shut the skylight, Jack," said the skipper, at length, as he poured out
his third cup of coffee.

Fraser complied, and resuming his seat gazed at him with almost indecent
expectancy. The skipper dropped some sugar into his coffee, and stirring
it in a meditative fashion, sighed gently.

"I've been making a fool of myself, Jack," he said, at length. "I was
always one to be fond of a little bit of adventure, but this goes a
little too far, even for me."

"But what did you get engaged to her for?" enquired Fraser.

Flower shook his head. "She fell violently in love with me," he said,
mournfully. "She keeps the Blue Posts up at Chelsea. Her father left it
to her. She manages her step-mother and her brother and everybody else.
I was just a child in her hands. You know my easy-going nature."

"But you made love to her," expostulated the mate.

"In a way, I suppose I did," admitted the other. "I don't know now
whether she could have me up for breach of promise, because when I asked
her I did it this way. I said, 'Will you be Mrs. Robinson?' What do you
think?"

"I should think it would make it harder for you," said Fraser. "But
didn't you remember Miss Banks while all this was going on?"

"In a way," said Flower, "yes--in a way. But after a man's been engaged
to a woman nine years, it's very easy to forget, and every year makes it
easier. Besides, I was only a boy when I was engaged to her."

"Twenty-eight," said Fraser.

"Anyway, I wasn't old enough to know my own mind," said Flower, "and
my uncle and old Mrs. Banks made it up between them. They arranged
everything, and I can't afford to offend the old man. If I married Miss
Tipping--that's the Blue Posts girl--he'd leave his money away from
me; and if I marry Elizabeth, Miss Tipping'll have me up for breach of
promise--if she finds me."

"If you're not very careful," said Fraser, impressively, "you'll lose
both of 'em."

The skipper leaned over the table, and glanced carefully round. "Just
what I want to do," he said, in a low voice. "I'm engaged to another
girl."

"What?" cried the mate, raising his voice. "_Three_?"

"Three," repeated the skipper. "Only three," he added, hastily, as he
saw a question trembling