r suited to our purpose than this one, and I wish you would
buy it!"

"Madam," said Burke, "I'll do it immediately! And I tell you, madam,
that this is a wonderful chance for this time of the year when yachts
and pleasure crafts in this part of the world are generally laid up and
can't be seen properly; and what's more, would have to be docked and
overhauled generally before they would be ready for sea. But here is a
yacht that's been cruising down south and in the West Indies and has
just come up here, and is all ready to go to sea again whenever you like
it. If you don't mind going home by yourselves, I'll go to the office of
the agent of the owner, and settle the business at once!"

It would have been impossible for any purchase or any possession of
palace, pyramid, or principality to make prouder the heart of Mrs. Cliff
than did the consciousness that she was the owner of a fine sea vessel
worked by steam. She acknowledged to herself that if she had been at
home she could not have prevented herself from putting on those airs
which she had been so anxious to avoid. But these would wear off very
soon she knew, and so long as there was no one, except Willy, to notice
a possible change of manner, it did not matter.

Now that Mrs. Cliff and Willy were in New York they both agreed that it
would be well for them to attend to some shopping for which they had
intended coming to the city later in the spring. It had been found that
there were many things wanted to supplement the furnishing of the new
house, and to the purchase of these the two ladies now devoted their
mornings.

But every afternoon, in company with Mr. Burke, they went on board the
_Summer Shelter_ to see what he had been doing and to consult with him
about what he was going to do. It was astonishing how many little things
were needed to be done to a yacht just returned from a cruise, and how
interesting all these things were to Mrs. Cliff and Willy, considering
that they knew so little about them.

The engineer and fireman had not been discharged, but were acting as
watchmen, and Burke strongly recommended that they should be engaged
immediately, because, as he said, if Mrs. Cliff were to let them go it
would be difficult to get such men again. "It was a little expensive, to
be sure, but when a yacht is not laid up," he said, "there should always
be men aboard of her." And so the painting, and the cleaning, and the
necessary fitting up went on, and Mr. B