Mr. Juxon carefully examined the windows of the sitting-room and then
returned to his seat.

"It is quite air-tight, I think," he said with some satisfaction, as he
smoothed his hair with his hand.

"Oh, quite," said Mrs. Goddard. "It was so very good of you."

"Not a bit of it," returned the squire cheerily. "A landlord's chief
pre-occupation ought to be the comfort of his tenants and his next
thought should be to keep his houses in repair. I never owned any
houses before, so I have determined to start with good principles."

"I am sure you succeed. You walked down?"

"Always walk, in any weather. It is much less trouble and much cheaper.
Besides, I like it."

"The best of all reasons. Then you will not have any tea? I almost wish
you would, because I want some myself."

"Oh of course--in that case I shall be delighted. Shall I ring?"

He rang and Martha brought the tea. Some time was consumed in the
preparations which Mr. Juxon watched with interest as though he had never
seen tea made before. Everything that Mrs. Goddard did interested him.

"I do not know why it is," she said at last, "but weather like this is
delightful when one is safe at home. I suppose it is the contrast--"

"Yes indeed. It is like the watch below in dirty-weather."

"Excuse me--I don't quite understand--"

"At sea," explained the squire. "There is no luxury like being below when
the decks are wet and there is heavy weather about."

"I should think so," said Mrs. Goddard. "Have you been at sea much, Mr.
Juxon?"

"Thirty years," returned the squire laconically. Mrs. Goddard looked at
him in astonishment.

"You don't mean to say you have been a sailor all your life?"

"Does that surprise you? I have been a sailor since I was twelve years
old. But I got very tired of it. It is a hard life."

"Were you in the navy, Mr. Juxon?" asked Mrs. Goddard eagerly, feeling
that she was at last upon the track of some information in regard to his
past life.

"Yes--I was in the navy," answered the squire, slowly. "And then I was at
college, and then in the navy again. At last I entered the merchant
service and commanded my own ships for nearly twenty years."

"How very extraordinary! Why then, you must have been everywhere."

"Very nearly. But I would much rather be in Billingsfield."

"You never told me," said Mrs. Goddard almost reproachfully. "What a
change it must have been for you, from the sea to the life of a country
gentleman!"