omebody to go with me. But before we do anything you must take
time to tell me who these queer-looking customers are that you've got on
board."

Burke shut the door of his room, and in as few words as possible he
explained how some of the members of the recent Synod happened to be
acting as crew of the yacht. Shirley was a quiet and rather a sedate
man, but when he heard this tale, he dropped into a chair, leaned back,
stretched out his legs, and laughed until his voice failed him.

"Oh, it's all funny enough," said Burke, almost as merry as his friend,
"but they're good ones, I can tell you that! You couldn't get together a
better set of landsmen, and I tell you what I'll do. If you want anybody
to go with you to certify that you are all right, I'll send a couple of
parsons!"

"Just what I want!" cried Shirley.

Burke quickly stepped out on deck, and calling the mate, "Mr. Burdette,"
he said, "I want you to detail the Reverend Charles Attlebury and
Reverend Mr. Gillingham to go ashore with Mr. Shirley. Tell them to put
on their parson's toggery, long coats, high hats, and white cravats, and
let each man take with him the address of his church on a card. They are
to certify to Mr. Shirley. Tell them to step round lively--we have no
time to lose!"

Soon after the boat with Shirley and the clergymen had pulled away from
the yacht, two of the clerical crew came to Mrs. Cliff, and told her
that they were very sorry indeed to say, that having consulted the
sailing-master, and having been told by him that it was not at all
probable that the yacht would be able to return to Kingston in a week,
they had been forced to the conclusion that they would not be able to
offer her their services during the voyage she was about to make.
Important affairs at home would make it impossible for them to prolong
their most delightful vacation, and as they had been informed that the
_Antonina_ would return to New York in a few days, it would be advisable
for them to leave the yacht and take passage to New York in her. They
felt, however, that this apparent desertion would be of less importance
than it would have been if it had occurred in the port of Nassau,
because now the crew would have the assistance of Mr. Shirley, who was
certainly worth more than both of them together.

When Burke heard this, he said to Mrs. Cliff that he was not sure but
what the parsons were quite correct, and although everybody was sorry to
lose two members of