e in the house. You've told Elizabeth, I s'pose?"

"Not yet," said Mrs. Banks, who as a matter of fact had been influenced
by the proceedings of that afternoon to bring to a head a step she had
hitherto only vaguely contemplated.

Elizabeth, who came down the garden again, a little later, accompanied
by Mrs. Church, received the news stolidly. A feeling of regret, that
the attention of the devoted Gibson must now cease, certainly occurred
to her, but she never thought of contesting the arrangements made for
her, and accepted the situation with a placidity which the more ardent
Barber was utterly unable to understand.

"Fred'll stand on his.'ed with joy," the unsophisticated mariner
declared, with enthusiasm.

"He'll go singing about the house," declared Mrs. Church.

Mrs. Banks regarded her unfavourably.

"He's never _said_ much," continued Uncle Barber, in an exalted strain;
"that ain't Fred's way. He takes arter me; he's one o' the quiet ones,
one o' the still deep waters what always feels the most. When I tell 'im
his face'll just light up with joy."

"It'll be nice for you, too," said Mrs. Banks, with a side glance at
the housekeeper; "you'll have somebody to look after you and take an
interest in you, and strangers can't be expected to do that even if
they're _nice_."

"We shall have him standing on his head, too," said Mrs. Church, with a
bright smile; "you're turning everything upside down, Mrs. Banks."

"There's things as wants altering," said the old lady, with emphasis.
"There's few things as I don't see, ma'am."

"I hope you'll live to see a lot more," said Mrs. Church, piously.

"She'll live to be ninety," said Captain Barber, heartily.

"Oh, _easily_," said Mrs. Church.

Captain Barber regarding his old friend saw her face suffused with a
wrath for which he was utterly unable to account. With a hazy idea that
something had passed which he had not heard, he caused a diversion by
sending Mrs. Church indoors for a pack of cards, and solemnly celebrated
the occasion with a game of whist, at which Mrs. Church, in partnership
with Mrs. Banks, either through sheer wilfulness or absence of mind,
contrived to lose every game.

CHAPTER VI.

As a result of the mate's ill-behaviour at the theatre, Captain Fred
Flower treated him with an air of chilly disdain, ignoring, as far as
circumstances would permit, the fact that such a person existed. So far
as the social side went the mate made no demur