n and scowling at me in
turn as I removed the straightened hook, and put on another from the
spare ones with which Jarette had furnished me. This I baited as before
and threw over, the line running out rapidly till about the same length
was out; and Mr Denning took hold again, the red spots in his cheeks
showing how thoroughly he was interested in the sport.

"Better luck to you this time," said the captain, and he nodded and
walked away; but Walters stayed, saying nothing, but leaning against the
rail, and looking on in a sulky, ill-used way at me and my every action
as I attended on Mr Denning.

"We shall never get to be friends," I thought. "He always looks as if
he was so jealous that he would like to throw me overboard."

"Shall I fasten the line this time, sir?"

"No, no; not on any account," said Mr Denning. "It would take away
half the excitement, and I get so little in my life. Eh, Lena?"

Miss Denning smiled at him half-pityingly, and his face looked very
gentle now as he smiled back at her. Then all his attention was
directed to the line where it hit the water.

"You will be ready to help if I hook a big one," he said to me; "I'm not
so strong as I used to be."

"I'll catch hold directly you tell me," I replied; "but perhaps it will
be a small one this time."

I turned to arrange the spare line once more so that it would run out
easily, and Miss Denning went closer to her brother, while I became
aware now of the fact that Walters was watching me in a sour, sneering
way.

"What's the matter?" I said.

"Oh, go on," he whispered; "make much of it. You did that on purpose
just now."

"What, when you went down?" I said eagerly. "I didn't, really."

"All right; I'm not blind, and I'm not a fool. Of course we're the
favourite, and everything is to give way to us; but never mind, my lad,
every dog has his day."

I looked at him with a feeling of wonder that any one could be so
thoroughly disagreeable, so determined to look at everything from a
wrong point of view, and then I laughed, for it seemed to be utterly
absurd that he should misconstrue even that look, for he exclaimed
viciously--

"That's right, grin away, my lad; but the day may come when you'll laugh
the wrong side of your mouth."

"Why, what a chap you are, Nic!" I whispered. "I never saw such a
fellow. Come, let's be friends; I'm sure I want to."

"And I don't, with a miserable sneak who is always trying to undermine
me