w."

"No, she won't. Not when she knows that they've been feeding on the
disgusting and half-decayed dead sheep. She'd hate to see one."

"What made you think of saying there was a dead sheep, J. J.?"

"I had to think of something," said Meldon, "or else she'd have come
with us. You contradicted every word I said, and gave the show away,
although you knew very well the extreme importance of giving Simpkins
his chance."

"I don't think he looked much like taking it when we left."

"No, he didn't. A more helpless, incompetent idiot than Simpkins I
never came across. He won't do a single thing to help himself. I
suppose he expects me to-- I'll tell you what it is, Major; I had some
regard for Simpkins before to-day, but I'm beginning to agree with you
and Doyle about him now."

"Then perhaps you'll stop trying to get him to marry Miss King."

"No, I won't. My coming round to your way of thinking is all the more
reason for marrying him. As long as I had any regard for him I felt it
was rather a pity to have him killed, and I was only doing it to please
you. Now that I see he really doesn't deserve to live I can go on with
a perfectly clear conscience."

"Any way," said the Major, "I don't believe that he'll do much
love-making to-day."

"Don't be too sure of that. If Miss King is behaving now as she ought
to be; if she has taken that wet hat off his head and stopped it
wringing his brow; if, as I confidently expect, she is showing herself
a ministering angel, we shall most likely find them sitting in a most
affectionate attitude when we get back."

Miss King did not do her duty. When Meldon and Major Kent returned,
lobsterless, after half an hour's absence, they found Mr. Simpkins
sitting on a stone by himself with the wet hat still on his head. Miss
King was a long way off, stumbling about among the stones at the
water's edge. She may, perhaps, have been trying to catch lobsters.

The voyage home was most unpleasant for every one except Meldon. The
wind had risen slightly since morning, and the motion of the yacht in
running before it was very trying. Mr. Simpkins collapsed at once and
was dragged by Meldon into the cabin, where he lay in speechless
misery. Miss King held out bravely for some time, and then gave way
suddenly. Major Kent, watching her, was very unhappy, and did not dare
to smoke lest he should make her worse. He attempted at one time to
wrap her in an oilskin coat, thinking t