wicked!"

He bowed.

"I agree with you, my lady. But you see they are monopolizing the
attention to-day, which is a social crime!" and, with a sarcastic
smile, he passed on.

Meanwhile, undreaming of this "capful of wind" that might become a
tornado, our girls thoroughly enjoyed themselves in a lively, wholly
unsentimental way, pleased with the company and their own happy youth;
and not suspecting that in this same soft, silky atmosphere which
breeds both the exquisite Paradise-bird and the deadly cobra, might be
found, not only friendliness, but also that "envy, malice, and
uncharitableness" which the honest-hearted are least able to guard
against, in their utter lack of comprehension.

CHAPTER IX.

A GAME OF GROMETS.

"Who wants to pitch gromets?" cried Dwight. (He pronounced it as if
spelled "gruments," as most sea-going men do spell it, we believe, but
let us follow the dictionary!) "Mr. Malcolm's offered a prize for the
one that lands it square in the bucket the most times, and Uncle Dwight
says he'll give a consolation prize to the poor wretch who doesn't hit
it once."

"What's gromets?" asked young Donelson, springing up.

"Oh, don't you know?" said Hope. "Father used to play it with us when
we were little--you know what the gromets themselves are, don't you?"

"Haven't an idea?"

"Why, rope rings--Dwight, Dwight! Isn't that one sticking out of your
pocket? See how firm and neat it is!"

"Well, it's just pitching those into a bucket, set a long way off. If
you can make it go into the bucket plump, it counts you 10; lodging
anywhere on the edge or bail is 2, and inside the chalk ring drawn
around the bucket is 1--at least, that's our game."

"And outside?"

"Of the ring? Oh, nothing at all; and five throws outside will put out
till next innings. Each side has a certain number of trials, you see."

"Why, that's something like quoits."

"Well, so it is--sea quoits."

"That's easy, I'm sure."

"Oh is it? Wait till you try it!"

"You, see there's a special twist"--began Faith, but her sister stopped
her.

"No, no, don't tell. Let him try it first; it's easy, you know!" and,
laughing mischievously, she ran after Dwight.

Pretty soon two tawny boys appeared, one with an ordinary fire-bucket,
such as are seen hung everywhere on shipboard, and the other with a
cluster of rope rings hung on one arm. Behind them came Hope, with Mr.
Malcolm and Dwight in tow, the former carrying