y realized how free they were
until Master Hardy squeezed his way in and, taking a seat next to him,
prayed with unwonted fervour into the interior of a new hat, and then
sitting back watched with polite composure the efforts of Miss Nugent's
family to re-strain her growing excitement.

Charmed with the experiment, he repeated it the following Sunday. This
time he boarded the seat from the other end, and seeing no place by the
captain, took one, or more correctly speaking made one, between Miss
Nugent and Jack, and despite the former's elbow began to feel almost like
one of the family. Hostile feelings vanished, and with an amiable smile
at the half-frantic Miss Nugent he placed a "bull's-eye" of great
strength in his cheek, and leaning forward for a hymn-book left one on
the ledge in front of jack. A double-distilled perfume at once assailed
the atmosphere.

Miss Nugent sat dazed at his impudence, and for the first time in her
life doubts as to her father's capacity stirred within her. She
attempted the poor consolation of an "acid tablet," and it was at
once impounded by the watchful Mrs. Kingdom. Mean-time the reek of
"bull's-eyes" was insufferable.

The service seemed interminable, and all that time the indignant damsel,
wedged in between her aunt and the openly exultant enemy of her House,
was compelled to endure in silence. She did indeed attempt one remark,
and Master Hardy, with a horrified expression of outraged piety, said
"H'sh," and shook his head at her. It was almost more than flesh and
blood could bear, and when the unobservant Mrs. Kingdom asked her for the
text on the way home her reply nearly cost her the loss of her dinner.

The _Conqueror,_ under its new commander, sailed on the day following.
Mr. Wilks watched it from the quay, and the new steward observing him
came to the side, and holding aloft an old pantry-cloth between his
finger and thumb until he had attracted his attention, dropped it
overboard with every circumstance of exaggerated horror. By the time a
suitable retort had occurred to the ex-steward the steamer was half a
mile distant, and the extraordinary and unnatural pantomime in which he
indulged on the edge of the quay was grievously misinterpreted by a
nervous man in a sailing boat.

[Illustration: "Mr. Wilks watched it from the quay."]

Master Hardy had also seen the ship out, and, perched on the extreme end
of the breakwater, he remained watching until she was hull do