and I are very fond of her, and I am her
godmother, having christened her."

"Godmother and curate coupled in one, eh, Bertha? We will go by all
means; that is to say, we cannot invade him in a body, but those of
us who know Mallett can go on board, and the gig can come back and
take the rest ashore and then come to fetch us."

Accordingly, Lord Haverley and his daughter, Lady Greendale and
Bertha, and two others of the party were rowed to the Osprey. Frank
saw them coming and met them at the gangway.

"We are taking you by storm, Major," Lord Haverley said, "but Lady
Greendale and her daughter claim an almost proprietary interest in
the Osprey, because the latter is her godmother. Indeed, we are all
naturally interested in her, too, as being one of our cracks. She
is a very smart-looking craft, though I think it is a pity that she
is not cutter rigged."

"She would look prettier, no doubt," Frank said; "but, you see,
though she was built as a racer, and I like a race occasionally,
that was not my primary object. I wanted her for cruising, and
there is no doubt that a yawl is more handy, and you can work her
with fewer hands than you can a cutter of the same size."

They went round the vessel, and then returning on deck, sat down
and chatted while waiting for the boat's return.

"I sincerely hope that you will win, Frank, on Friday," Lady
Greendale said. "Our sympathies are rather divided, but I hope the
Osprey will win."

"Thank you, Lady Greendale, but I am by no means sanguine about it.

"I fancy, Miss Haverley, that you and Miss Greendale will see the
winning flag flying overhead when the race is over."

"Why do you think so, Major?" Lord Haverley asked. "The general
opinion is that your record is better than that of the Phantom. She
has done well in the two or three races she has sailed, but she
certainly did not beat the Lesbia or the Mermaid by as much as you
did."

"That may be," Frank agreed, "but I regard Carthew as having been
born under a lucky star; and though my own opinion is that if the
Phantom were in other hands we should beat her, I fancy his luck
will pull her through."

Haverley laughed. "I should not have given you credit for being
superstitious, Major."

"I don't think that I have many superstitions, but I own to
something like it in this case."

Bertha looked earnestly at him. Just before the gig returned from
the shore, she and Frank were standing together.

"I am sorry that