was
still revolving the matter in my mind, when, on turning the corner by
the smoking-room entrance, I found myself face to face with Baxter
himself. As soon as he saw me, he came smiling towards me, holding out
his hand.

"Good-morning, Mr. Hatteras," he said briskly; "what a delightful
morning it is, to be sure. You cannot tell how much I am enjoying it.
The sea air seems to have made a new man of me already."

"I am glad to hear it. And pray how is your charge?" I asked, more
puzzled than ever by this display of affability.

"Not at all well, I am sorry to say."

"Not well? You don't surely mean to say that he is sea-sick?"

"I'm sorry to say I do. He was perfectly well until he got out of his
bunk half an hour ago. Then a sudden, but violent, fit of nausea seized
him, and drove him back to bed again."

"I am very sorry to hear it, I hope he will be better soon. He would
have been one of the last men I should have expected to be bowled over.
Are you coming for a turn round?"

"I shall feel honoured," he answered, and thereupon we set off, step for
step, for a constitutional round the deck. By the time we had finished
it was nine o'clock, and the saloon gong had sounded for breakfast.

The meal over, I repaired to the Marquis's cabin, and having knocked,
was bidden enter. I found my lord in bed, retching violently; his
complexion was the colour of zinc, his hands were cold and clammy, and
after every spasm his face streamed with perspiration.

"I am indeed sorry to see you like this," I said, bending over him. "How
do you feel now?"

"Very bad, indeed!" he answered, with a groan. "I cannot understand it
at all. Before I got out of bed this morning I felt as well as possible.
Then Mr. Baxter was kind enough to bring me a cup of coffee, and within
five minutes of drinking it, I was obliged to go back to bed feeling
hopelessly sick and miserable."

"Well, you must try and get round as soon as you can, and come on deck;
there's a splendid breeze blowing, and you'll find that will clear the
sickness out of you before you know where you are."

But his only reply was another awful fit of sickness, that made as if it
would tear his chest asunder. While he was under the influence of it,
his tutor entered, and set about ministering to him with a care and
fatherly tenderness that even deceived me. I can see things more plainly
now, on looking back at them, than I could then, but I must own that
Baxter's behaviour