r very roundly, for the captain had
icily withdrawn into himself, and spoke as little as possible to his
first officer.

"The man's a fool to take it this way, Phillimore," he said. "Does he
suppose it was my doing? I happened to know, but, of course, it was not
my secret."

This, too, was Pye's excuse for silence, and it was obviously adequate.
But as the baronet's evidence of friendliness was thus betrayed in his
confidence to me, I ventured on a question, which was not really
inquisitive.

"Oh, well, you see I've known the prince off and on some time. He and I
yachted together before I lost my money, and he gave me this chance.
He's a good sort." With which bluff and British indifference he
terminated the conversation.

I think that the mysterious aloofness of our passengers served to keep
the interest warm. Had Mr. Morland and his party descended and been on
show, so to say, before the company, it is probable that the bloom of
surprise would have worn off with the contact. But they kept to
themselves and the hurricane deck. Every morning and afternoon the
prince and his sister took a prolonged walk together, and at times they
were joined by my patient, who, however, in the better weather we were
enjoying, reclined in her chair and took the sun. On these occasions
Mr. Morland and his sister ceased their promenade and sat with their
guest. Sometimes the full voice of Mlle. Chateray, or Trebizond, would
come to us below, and occasionally her light laughter was heard, very
musical to the ears.

Speculations, it is not necessary to say, were rife among us. It was
known we were set for Buenos Ayres, and it was taken for granted that
there the Prince was to effect his morganatic marriage. But what was to
happen afterwards? We were chartered for twelve months. That bespoke a
cruise, and guesses flew about the ship. Lane, the purser, was the most
in evidence in these discussions. He was an excitable man with a
passion for talk and company, and he offered to lay me a certain sum
that we should pull up in Yokohama.

"As like as not paid off there. We've no contracts against it," he said
in a fume.

It was the attitude of McCrae, the chief engineer, that interested me
in view of his professed opinions. He unfolded his mind to me one
evening when we had been out some ten days.

"It's like this, doctor. The man's sheer sick of courts and barbarisms,
and he's in search of a healthy, independent life, which he needs, I'm