ain of a want of hospitality."

"I am greatly obliged," said I, giving him a bow; "but New Zealand is a
little distant for the moment."

The subject of New Zealand was now, however, started, and the
conversation on its harbours, revenue, political parties, debts,
prospects, and the like, was exceedingly animated, and lasted pretty
nearly through the dinner. Though Grace and I were seated at the
foremost end of the table, removed nearly by the whole length of it
from the captain, I was sensible that this talk to those near him
mainly concerned us. He had, as I have said, Mrs. Barstow on one hand,
and on the other sat the lady with the thin lips and sausage curls. I
would notice him turn first to one, then to the other, his round
sea-coloured face broadened by an arch knowing smile; then Mrs. Barstow
would look at us; then the lady with the thin lips would stretch her
neck to take a peep down the line in which we sat; others would also
look, smirk a bit, and address themselves, with amused faces, in a low
voice to Captain Parsons.

All this was not so marked as to be offensive, or even embarrassing,
but it was a very noticeable thing, and I whispered to Grace that we
seemed to form the sole theme of conversation at the captain's end.

"What can they be talking about?" said I. "I hope they are not
plotting to carry us to New Zealand."

"You would not permit it!" she exclaimed, giving me an eager, alarmed
look.

"No," said I, "it is too far off. Were it Madeira now--it may come to
Madeira yet; but the pity of it is, my sweet," said I, low in her ear,
"we are not married, otherwise we might call this trip our honeymoon,
and make a really big thing of it by going the whole way to New
Zealand."

She coloured and was silent, afraid, I think, of my being overheard,
for my spirits were now as good as they were yesterday wretched, and
whenever I felt happy I had a trick of talking rather loud.

When dinner was over we went on deck. Mrs. Barstow and the thin-lipped
lady carried off Grace for a stroll up and down the planks, and I
joined a few of the gentlemen passengers on the quarter-deck to smoke a
cigar one of them gave me. There was a fine breeze out of the east,
and the ship, with yards nearly square, was sliding and rolling stately
along her course at some six or seven miles in the hour. The west was
flushed with red, but a few stars were trembling in the airy dimness of
the evening blue over the stern, and