am yacht, Charley accurately told me, with clipper
bow and spiked bowsprit.

"About a hundred tons?" I inquired.

"Yes. A hundred feet long, beam twenty feet, and she draws twelve feet,"
said Charley; and I thought I detected the mate listening to him.

He now called my attention to the flags, and I am certain that I saw
the sailing-master hide his mouth with his hand. Some of the deck-hands
seemed to gather delicately nearer to us.

"Sunday, of course," I said; and I pointed to the Jack flying from a
staff at the bow.

But Charley did not wish me to tell him about the flags, he wished to
tell me about the flags. "I am very strict about all this," he said, his
gravity and nauticality increasing with every word. "At the fore truck
flies our club burgee."

I went through my part, giving a solemn, silent, intelligent assent.

"That is my private signal at the main truck. It was designed by Miss
Rieppe."

As I again intelligently nodded, I saw the boatswain move an elbow into
the ribs of one of the quartermasters.

"On the staff at the taffrail I have the United States yacht ensign,"
Charley continued. "That's all," he said, looking about for more flags,
and (to his disappointment, I think) finding no more. For he added: "But
at twelve o'c--at eight bells, the crew's meal-flag will be in the
port fore rigging. While we are at lunch, my meal-flag will be in the
starboard main rigging."

"It should be there all day," I was tempted to remark to him, as my
wandering eye fell on the cabin boy carrying something more on a plate
to Kitty. But instead of this I said: "Well, she's a beautiful boat!"

Charley shook his head. "I'm going to get rid of her."

I was surprised. "Isn't she all right?" It seemed to me that the crew
behind us were very attentive now.

"There is not enough refrigerator space," said Charley. One of the
deck-hands whirled round instantly; but stolidity sat like adamant upon
the faces of the others as Charley turned in their direction, and we
continued our tour of the Hermana. Thus the little banker let me see
his little soul, deep down; and there I saw that to pass for a real
yachtsman--which he would never be able to do--was dearer to his pride
than to bring off successfully some huge and delicate matter in the
world's finance--which he could always do supremely well. "I'm just like
that, too," I thought to myself; and we returned to the gay Kitty.

But Kitty, despite her gayety, had serious t