as
the epicure treats his glass of good wine. They will pour it slowly and
hold the glass up against the light and admire its color!" In her gay
mood she pinched together thumb and forefinger and lifted an imaginary
glass to the sun. "Then they will sniff the bouquet. Ah-h-h, how
fragrant! And after a time they will take a little sip--just a weeny
little sip and hold it on the tongue for ever so long. For, when it is
swallowed, what good? Oh, boy, here are you--talking first of all about
marriage! Talking of the good wine of life and love as if it were a
fluid simply to satisfy thirst. We are going to love, first of all!
Come, I will teach you."

He did not know what to say to her. There was a species of abandon in
her gaiety. Her exotic language embarrassed one who had been used to
mariners' laconic directness of speech. She looked at him, teasing him
with her eyes. He was a bit relieved when the pale-faced secretary came
dragging himself up the ladder and broke in on the tete-a-tete.

"Mr. Marston's orders are, Captain Mayo, that you turn here and go west.
Do you know the usual course of the Bee line steamers?"

"Yes, sir."

"He requests you to turn in toward shore and follow that course."

"Very well, sir." Captain Mayo walked to the wheel. "Nor' nor'west,
Billy, until I can give you the exact course."

"Nor' nor'west!" repeated the wheelsman, throwing her hard over, and
the _Olenia_ came about with a rail-dipping swerve and retraced her way
along her own wake of white suds.

Miss Marston preceded the captain down the ladder and went into the
chart-room. "A kiss--quick!" she whispered.

He held her close to him for a long moment.

"You are a most obedient captain," she said.

When he released her and went at his task, she leaned upon his shoulder
and watched him as he straddled his parallels across the chart.

"We'll run to Razee Reef," he told her, eager to make her a partner in
all his little concerns. "The Bee boats fetch the whistler there so as
to lay off their next leg. I didn't know that Mr. Marston was interested
in the Bee line."

"I heard him talking about that line," she said, indifferently.
"Sometimes I listen when I have nothing else to do. He used a naughty
word about somebody connected with that company--and it's so seldom that
he allows himself to swear I listened to see what it was all about. I
don't know even now. I don't understand such things. But he said if he
couldn't buy 'em he'