poor darling spattered the girls so much, that they're below taking
off their frocks," she explained. "Mr. Starr's changing too, I think,
but I waited to speak to you alone, although I am a _sight_. I have
something particular to say."

I looked a question, and she went on. "I've always liked you, from the
first. I saw you were the kind of man who could be trusted never to
injure a woman, no matter what your opinion of her might be, and I'd
have done you a good turn if it had come in my way; but now, after what
I owe you this afternoon, I'm ready to go _out_ of my way. You won't
think I'm an interfering"--she hesitated a moment--"old thing, if I say
I can guess why you are skipper--why you're on this trip at all. Now, if
you wanted to be disagreeable I expect you could say that you _know_ why
I'm on board; but I don't believe you do want to be disagreeable, do
you?"

"Certainly not," said I, laughing. "And even if I did, there's an old
proverb which forbids the pot to call the kettle black."

"Oh, you and I and my dear nephew Ronny are pots and kettles together,
the three of us; but our _hearts_ are all right. And talking of hearts
leads up to what I want to say."

"About my job as skipper?"

"Yes."

"You say you can guess why I took it. My idea is, that you guessed the
first day on board."

"Why, of _course_ I did. I saw which one of the girls it was, too, and
noticed that something had gone wrong. That interested me, for I'm
observant."

"You're 'a chiel amang us takkin notes.'"

"Think of a Dutchman quoting that! However, even peasants in Holland
break into English and German. Why shouldn't a Jonkheer spout Burns? But
let me get to my point. I haven't found out what the trouble is, but I
know you must have sinned against the girl in some way, or done
something tactless, which is worse, and made her angry. Or else she felt
it was her _duty_ to be angry, and has been living up to it ever since.
Talk of the 'way of a man with a maid!' The way of a maid with a man is
funnier and more subtle. Nell Van Buren is an adorable girl, but the
more adorable a girl is, the more horried she can be."

"That _is_ subtle."

"Why, of course. What else should it be? And the whole thing's been as
good as a play to watch. I wished you well from the beginning, but I
thought you capable of taking care of yourself."

"And now you've changed your mind?"

"I have, since yesterday. I'm sure something happened at Amsterdam in