ed the arrival of Mr. Percy
Noakes, who went through the ordinary salutations, and threw himself into
an easy chair near the ladies' work-table, with the ease of a regularly
established friend of the family. Mrs. Taunton was busily engaged in
planting immense bright bows on every part of a smart cap on which it was
possible to stick one; Miss Emily Taunton was making a watch-guard; Miss
Sophia was at the piano, practising a new song--poetry by the young
officer, or the police-officer, or the custom-house officer, or some
other interesting amateur.

'You good creature!' said Mrs. Taunton, addressing the gallant Percy.
'You really are a good soul! You've come about the water-party, I know.'

'I should rather suspect I had,' replied Mr. Noakes, triumphantly. 'Now,
come here, girls, and I'll tell you all about it.' Miss Emily and Miss
Sophia advanced to the table.

'Now,' continued Mr. Percy Noakes, 'it seems to me that the best way will
be, to have a committee of ten, to make all the arrangements, and manage
the whole set-out. Then, I propose that the expenses shall be paid by
these ten fellows jointly.'

'Excellent, indeed!' said Mrs. Taunton, who highly approved of this part
of the arrangements.

'Then, my plan is, that each of these ten fellows shall have the power of
asking five people. There must be a meeting of the committee, at my
chambers, to make all the arrangements, and these people shall be then
named; every member of the committee shall have the power of
black-balling any one who is proposed; and one black ball shall exclude
that person. This will ensure our having a pleasant party, you know.'

'What a manager you are!' interrupted Mrs. Taunton again.

'Charming!' said the lovely Emily.

'I never did!' ejaculated Sophia.

'Yes, I think it'll do,' replied Mr. Percy Noakes, who was now quite in
his element. 'I think it'll do. Then you know we shall go down to the
Nore, and back, and have a regular capital cold dinner laid out in the
cabin before we start, so that everything may be ready without any
confusion; and we shall have the lunch laid out, on deck, in those little
tea-garden-looking concerns by the paddle-boxes--I don't know what you
call 'em. Then, we shall hire a steamer expressly for our party, and a
band, and have the deck chalked, and we shall be able to dance quadrilles
all day; and then, whoever we know that's musical, you know, why they'll
make themselves useful and agreeable;