't I?" she remarked in that pleasant
voice of hers. "You were so completely absorbed by the charms of
_Stella Maris_ that you had neither eyes nor ears for anybody else.
Well, what do you think of her?"

I was bareheaded by this time, but still a trifle confused at the
suddenness and unconventionality of my companion's address; yet I
quickly recovered my equanimity.

"She is the most lovely craft I ever set eyes on, bar none," I answered
with enthusiasm.

"Yes, she is a real daisy," agreed my companion. "Do you know what she
is?"

"I know what she ought to be," I said; "and that is, flagship of the
Club. But I see by her burgee that she is merely the property of one of
its members."

"That is so," returned the lady; "but I guess it's good enough. Say,
would you like to go aboard and have a look at her from inside?"

"Indeed I should, if her owner would not--"

I hesitated.

"Well, come along, then," cut in my companion. "I'm the owner, and I
promise you that I won't."

So saying, my strange acquaintance led the way to a narrow gang plank
stretching from the wharf to the ship's poop. Laughingly declining my
proffered assistance, she tripped lightly along it, and as lightly
sprang down upon the deck of narrow planking paid with white-lead
instead of the more usual pitch.

Allowing me a few moments to look round, my companion presently led me
forward to the break of the poop, where, standing at the head of one of
the ladders leading down to the main-deck, I obtained a view of the
whole length of the ship. The first thing to attract my attention was
the wheelhouse, a teak structure raised upon massive steel standards,
lofty enough to allow the helmsman a clear view ahead and astern.

Some ten feet ahead of it was the after hatchway, the coamings of which
stood about eighteen inches high, and, like those aboard a man-o'-war,
were protected by rails and stanchions. The hatchway was open, and
there was a ladder leading down through it. Just beyond this was the
mainmast; a little way forward of which was the main-hatch, also open,
and, like the other, protected by rails and stanchions. Beyond this
hatchway there stood, in chocks, a fine powerful screw launch, about
forty feet long by ten feet beam; and just ahead of her rose the
foremast. Before the foremast gaped the fore-hatchway, also open; then
came a handsome capstan; and ahead of it, leaving just comfortable room
to work, rose the bulkhead of the