ely, Mrs. Lacy," replied Otway, leaning with his back
against the rail and regarding her with half-closed eyes; "as sweet and
fair to look upon as a lovely woman--a woman with violet eyes and lips
like a budding rose."

She gave him one swift glance, seemingly in anger, yet her eyes smiled
into his; then she bent her head and regarded the deck with intense
interest. Otway thought he had scored. She was sure _she_ had.

Otway had just shown her and her husband his own cabin, and had told
them that they could occupy it--he would make himself comfortable in the
trade-room, he said. This was after the first look from the violet eyes.

* * * * *

Robertson, the skipper, came aboard, shook hands with Mrs. Lacy and her
husband, nodded to the other passengers, dived below for a moment or
two, and then reappeared on deck, full of energy, blasphemy, and anxiety
to get under way. In less than an hour the smart barque was outside the
Heads, and heeling over to a brisk south-westerly breeze. Two days later
she was four hundred miles on her course.

The Rev. Wilfrid Lacy soon made himself very agreeable to the rest of
the passengers, who all agreed that he was a splendid type of parson,
and even Otway, who had as much principle as a rat and began making love
to his wife from the outset, liked him. First of all, he was not the
usual style of travelling clergyman. He didn't say grace at meals, he
smoked a pipe, drank whisky and brandy with Otway and Robertson, told
rattling good stories, and displayed an immediate interest when the
skipper mentioned that the second mate was a "bit of a bruiser," and
that there were gloves on board; and the second mate, a nuggety little
Tynesider, at once consented to a friendly mill as soon as he was off
duty.

"Wilfrid," said Mrs. Lacy, "you'll shock every one. I can see that
Captain Robertson wonders what sort of a clergyman you are."

Robertson saw the merry light in her dark eyes, and then laughed aloud
as he saw Miss Weidermann's face. It expressed the very strongest
disapproval, and during the rest of the meal the virgin lady preserved a
dismal silence. The rest of the passengers, however, "took" to the
clerical gentleman at once. With old Father Roget--the Marist
missionary who sat opposite him--he soon entered into an animated
conversation, while the two De Boos girls, vivacious Samoan half-castes,
attached themselves to his wife. Seated beside Otway was an