ously, as they swept round the last bend and came into view of
Coalsham.

The mate said nothing, but stood by to take in sail as they ran swiftly
toward the little quay. The pace slackened, and the Arabella, as though
conscious of the contraband in her forecastle, crept slowly to where a
stout, middle-aged woman, who bore a strong likeness to the mate, stood
upon the quay.

"There's poor Loo," said the mate, with a sigh.

The skipper made no reply to this infernal insinuation. The barge ran
alongside the quay and made fast.

"I thought you'd be up," said Mrs. Gibbs to her husband. "Now come along
to breakfast; Ted 'll follow on."

Captain Gibbs, dived down below for his coat, and slipping ashore,
thankfully prepared to move off with his wife.

"Come on as soon as you can, Ted," said the latter. "Why, what on earth
is he making that face for?"

She turned in amazement as her brother, making a pretence of catching her
husband's eye, screwed his face up into a note of interrogation and gave
a slight jerk with his thumb.

"Come along," said Captain Gibbs, taking her arm with much affection.

"But what's Ted looking like that for?" demanded his wife, as she easily
intercepted another choice facial expression of the mate's.

"Oh, it's his fun," replied her husband, walking on.

"Fun?" repeated Mrs. Gibbs, sharply. "What's the matter, Ted."

"Nothing," replied the mate.

"Touch o' toothache," said the skipper. "Come along, Loo; I can just do
with one o' your breakfasts."

Mrs. Gibbs suffered herself to be led on, and had got at least five yards
on the way home, when she turned and looked back. The mate had still got
the toothache, and was at that moment in all the agonies of a phenomenal
twinge.

"There's something wrong here," said Mrs. Gibbs as she retraced her
steps. "Ted, what are you making that face for?"

"It's my own face," said the mate, evasively.

Mrs. Gibbs conceded the point, and added bitterly that it couldn't be
helped. All the same she wanted to know what he meant by it.

"Ask John," said the vindictive mate.

Mrs. Gibbs asked. Her husband said he didn't know, and added that Ted
had been like it before, but he had not told her for fear of frightening
her. Then he tried to induce her to go with him to the chemist's to get
something for it.

Mrs. Gibbs shook her head firmly, and boarding the barge, took a seat on
the hatch and proceeded to catechise her brother as to his sympt