proper to decline it after we return to the city."

"I may find it necessary to refuse to take you on board again."

"You would not leave me in this desolate place?"

"If you don't behave yourself, I may."

"If you do, I shall protest."

"Protest!" sneered he.

"Perhaps I might even protest with the boat-hook," I added; "for such a
step on your part would be an outrage."

"You are smart for a boy."

"I did not exactly force myself into your boat, though I was very glad
to go in her, for I expected by this time to meet Mr. Whippleton."

"I wanted to tell you what my purpose was," said he, making another
effort to approach the subject which he had tried to introduce before.

"I think I know what your purpose was."

"Do you, indeed?"

"I do, indeed."

"Perhaps you would be willing to state it."

"To save you the trouble of doing so in your roundabout way, I will.
You intended to run away with Miss Collingsby. You deceived her, lied
to her, and thus induced her to come on board of your yacht. You asked
me only because she would not go alone with you."

"Did she tell you that?" demanded he, biting his lip, and trying to
subdue his rising wrath.

"No matter what she told me; I am not blind. You told her you would
join Mr. Whippleton's party, and that the two Miss Lords were on board
of his boat. I saw her when she came in here, and he was alone."

"The ladies were in the cabin, I suppose."

"Mr. Whippleton is alone: he does not wish for any company to-day."

"What do you mean by that?" he asked, evidently suspecting that I was
wiser than I ought to be.

"Miss Collingsby is alone on board of the Marian. I am afraid she will
be uneasy if you remain here any longer. If you are engaged to her, she
must be very anxious about you."

"Don't be ugly and disagreeable, Phil. You are a good fellow. No one
knows it better than I do. Now let us fix this thing up."

"I'm too thick to understand you."

"You are a good fellow, and I know you will help me out of this
scrape," he continued, suddenly looking cheerful and pleasant, as
though the whole difficulty had been solved.

"If you will do the right thing, I will help you out of it."

"I knew you would. You understand the matter. I do love Miss
Collingsby, and she will tell you herself that she is not indifferent
to me. She consented some time ago to elope with me, in my boat. We can
run over to Lansing, St. Joseph, or some other town on the east side of
the