on deck everything went to justify the
belief, for the sky was cloudless, the wind had sunk to a royal breeze
from the eastward, the sea had gone down, leaving nothing but a long low
northerly swell, and we were reeling off our twelve knots easily and
comfortably, as I learned had been the case ever since midnight.

When I climbed to the poop, Mrs Vansittart was already there, attired
in a fine-weather rig of white, with a white cover on her yachting cap.
She immediately came up to me and, shaking hands, expressed the hope
that I had entirely recovered from the effects of yesterday's ducking
and exertions. Then, as I replied in the affirmative and in return
enquired how her son was progressing, she deftly drew me aft to the
taffrail, out of earshot of Briscoe, the second mate, who was sourly
regarding us both, and said:

"Now, Walter, there is just a word or two that I want to say to you, and
this is as good an opportunity as any to say it. I will not repeat what
I said to you last night in reference to my gratitude to you for saving
dear Julius's life, for I hope I then made it quite clear to you that I
shall always regard myself as under an obligation to you which it will
be quite impossible for me ever adequately to repay. But this is what I
wish you to understand. I have decided that in the interests of good
discipline, and to guard against the possibility of arousing unworthy
jealousy,"--here, whether by accident or design, she allowed her gaze to
rest for a moment upon the second mate's somewhat ungainly figure--"I
shall treat you, while on duty, precisely as I do my other officers,
making no distinction whatever in my behaviour between you and them. I
feel sure that you would prefer it so; would you not? Of course. Very
well, then, that is clearly understood between us; but I thought it best
to mention the matter, so that there shall be no misapprehension.

"And now, as to Julius. The dear boy is very much better, I am thankful
to say; but Dr Harper thinks it is best that he should remain in bed
for to-day at least. I find that he has not the faintest recollection
of what happened to him after he fell into the water until he came to
himself in his bed, so I have told him everything, and made it perfectly
clear to him that he owes his life to you. Of course he is grateful,
and wishes you to go down and see him a little later on in order that he
may personally thank you; but--well--if he should seem not