d after a nervous glance round made a remark about the weather.

"Beautiful," said Rosa. "Have you been ill, Mr. Filer?"

"Ill?" said the young man, staring. "No. Why?"

"Haven't seen you for such a long time," said Miss Jelks, swinging her
parasol. "I've been wondering what had become of you. I was afraid you
were ill."

Mr. Filer caressed his moustache. "I haven't seen you about," he
retorted.

"I haven't been out lately," said the girl; "it's so lonely walking
about by yourself that I'd sooner sit indoors and mope."

Mr. Filer stood blinking thoughtfully. "I s'pose you're going to meet a
friend?" he said, at last.

"No," said Rosa. "I s'pose you are?"

Mr. Filer said "No" in his turn.

Two minutes later, in a state of mind pretty evenly divided between
trepidation and joy, he found himself walking by her side.

They chose at first the quietest streets, but under Miss Jelks's
guidance drifted slowly back to the town.

To her annoyance the boatswain was nowhere to be seen, and the idea
of wasting the evening in the society of Mr. Filer annoyed her beyond
measure. She became moody, and vague in her replies to his sallies,
seated herself on a pile of timber, and motioned the young man to
join her and finally, with the forlorn hope that Mr. Walters might be
spending the evening aboard ship, strolled on to the quay.

Work was over and they had the place to themselves.

[Illustration: She seated herself on a pile of timber 190]

She seated herself on a pile of timber and, motioning the young man to
join her, experienced a sudden thrill as she saw the head of Mr. Walters
protruding tortoise-like over the side of the _Indian Chief_, which
lay a little way below them. Fearful that Mr. Filer should see it, she
directed his attention to two small boys who were disporting themselves
in a ship's boat, and, with her head almost on his shoulder, blotted out
the steamer with three feathers and a bunch of roses.

It was a beautiful evening, but Mr. Filer failed to understand why she
should slap his hand when he said so. He could hardly open his mouth
without being requested to behave himself and getting another tiny slap.
Greatly encouraged by this treatment he ventured to pass his left arm
round her waist, and, in full view of the choking boatswain, imprison
both her hands in his.

Miss Jelks endured it for two minutes, and then, breaking away, gave
him a playful little prod with her parasol and fled behind a wareh