over his
ears in love. He has got it about as bad as a man can have it."

"And the lady?" inquired Robert.

"She's all right," said the captain. He lowered his voice
confidentially. "It's Peter's sister, that's the trouble. He's afraid to
let her know. All we can do is to drop a little hint here and a little
hint there, so as to prepare her for the news when it's broken to her."

"Is she married?" inquired Robert, pausing as they reached the office.

"No," said Captain Trimblett; "widow."

Mr. Vyner gave a low whistle. "When do you sail, cap'n?" he inquired, in
a voice oily with solicitude.

"Soon as my engine-room repairs are finished, I suppose," said the
other, staring.

"And you--you are giving her hints about courtship and marriage?"
inquired Mr. Vyner, in tones of carefully-modulated surprise.

"She's a sensible woman," said the captain, reddening, "and she's no
more likely to marry again than I am."

"Just what I was thinking," said Mr. Vyner.

He shook his head, and, apparently deep in thought, turned and walked
slowly up the stairs. He was pleased to notice as he reached the first
landing that the captain was still standing where he had left him,
staring up the stairs.

CHAPTER III

IN a somewhat ruffled state of mind Captain Trimblett pursued his way
toward Tranquil Vale, a. row of neat cottages situated about a mile and
a half from the town, and inhabited principally by retired mariners. The
gardens, which ran down to the river, boasted a particularly fine strain
of flag-staffs; battered figure-heads in swan-like attitudes lent a
pleasing touch of colour, and old boats sawn in halves made convenient
arbours in which to sit and watch the passing pageant of the sea.

At No. 5 the captain paused to pass a perfectly dry boot over a scraper
of huge dimensions which guarded the entrance, and, opening the door,
finished off on the mat. Mrs. Susanna Chinnery, who was setting tea,
looked up at his entrance, and then looked at the clock.

"Kettle's just on the boil," she remarked.

"Your kettle always is," said the captain, taking a chair--"when it's
time for it to be, I mean," he added, hastily, as Mrs. Chinnery showed
signs of correcting him.

"It's as easy to be punctual as otherwise," said Mrs. Chinnery; "easier,
if people did but know it."

"So it is," murmured the captain, and sat gazing, with a sudden wooden
expression, at a picture opposite of the eruption of Vesuvius.

"Peter's la