lanced at the horsewhip, and pricked by the sight
of it to proceed, thought it good to soften the matter if possible. 'I
don't quite recollect... I wrote off to you rather hastily. I think he
said--but Palmet was there.'

'Shrapnel spoke the words before Lord Palmet?' said Mr. Romfrey
austerely.

Captain Baskelett summoned Palmet to come near, and inquired of him what
he had heard Shrapnel say, suggesting: 'He spoke of a handsome woman for
a housekeeper, and all the world knew her character?'

Mr. Romfrey cleared his throat.

'Or knew she had no character,' Cecil pursued in a fit of gratified
spleen, in scorn of the woman. 'Don't you recollect his accent in
pronouncing housekeeper?'

The menacing thunder sounded from Mr. Romfrey. He was patient in
appearance, and waited for Cecil's witness to corroborate the evidence.

It happened (and here we are in one of the circles of small things
producing great consequences, which have inspired diminutive
philosophers with ironical visions of history and the littleness of
man), it happened that Lord Palmet, the humanest of young aristocrats,
well-disposed toward the entire world, especially to women, also to men
in any way related to pretty women, had just lit a cigar, and it was a
cigar that he had been recommended to try the flavour of; and though
he, having his wits about him, was fully aware that shipboard is no good
place for a trial of the delicacy of tobacco in the leaf, he had begun
puffing and sniffing in a critical spirit, and scarcely knew for the
moment what to decide as to this particular cigar. He remembered,
however, Mr. Romfrey's objection to tobacco. Imagining that he saw the
expression of a profound distaste in that gentleman's more than usually
serious face, he hesitated between casting the cigar into the water
and retaining it. He decided upon the latter course, and held the
cigar behind his back, bowing to Mr. Romfrey at about a couple of yards
distance, and saying to Cecil, 'Housekeeper; yes, I remember hearing
housekeeper. I think so. Housekeeper? yes, oh yes.'

'And handsome housekeepers were doubtful characters,' Captain Baskelett
prompted him.

Palmet laughed out a single 'Ha!' that seemed to excuse him for lounging
away to the forepart of the vessel, where he tugged at his fine specimen
of a cigar to rekindle it, and discharged it with a wry grimace, so
delicate is the flavour of that weed, and so adversely ever is it
affected by a breeze and a