a knife
into the tin, and she 'eats 'erself!"

Among all the revelers, one face alone showed melancholy. Chantel, at
the foot of the table, sat unregarded by all save Rudolph, who now and
then caught from him a look filled with gloom and suspicion. It was
beside Rudolph that Mrs. Forrester laughed and chattered, calling all
eyes toward her, and yet finding private intervals in which to dart a
sidelong shaft at her neighbor. Rudolph's ears shone coral pink; for now
again he was aboard ship, hiding a secret at once dizzy, dangerous, and
entrancing. Across the talk, the wine, the many lights, came the triumph
of seeing that other hostile face, glowering in defeat. Never before had
Chantel, and all the others, dwindled so far into such nonentity, or her
presence vibrated so near.

Soon he became aware that Captain Kneebone had risen, with a face
glowing red above the candles. Even Sturgeon forgot the flood of
bounties, and looked expectantly toward their source. The captain
cleared his throat, faltered, then turning sheepish all at once,
hung his head.

"Be 'anged, I can't make a speech, after all," he grumbled; and
wheeling suddenly on Heywood, with a peevish air of having been
defrauded: "Aboard ship I could sit and think up no end o' flowery talk,
and now it's all gone!"

He stared at his plate miserably. It was Miss Drake who came to his
rescue.

"Tell us the secret," she begged. "How do you manage all these nice
things?"

The captain's eyes surveyed the motley collection down the length of the
bright table, then returned to her, gratefully:--

"This ain't anything. Only a little--bloomin'--"

"Impromptu," suggested Heywood.

"That's the word!" Captain Kneebone eyed them both with uncommon favor.
"That's it, ye know. I just 'opped about Saigong like a--jackdaw,
picking up these impromptus. But I came here all the way to break the
news proper, by word o' mouth."

He faced the company, and gathering himself for the effort,--

"I'm rich," he declared. "I'm da--I'm remarkable rich."

Pausing for the effect, he warmed to his oratory.

"It ain't for me to boast. Sailormen as a rule are bad hands to save
money. But I've won first prize in the Derby Sweepstake Lott'ry, and the
money's safe to my credit at the H.K. and S. in Calcutta, and I'm
retired and going Home! More money than the old Kut Sing earned since
her launching--so much I was frightened, first, and lost my sleep! And
me without chick nor child, a