esire, he freely included the unfortunate Mr. Wilks.

He passed his time in devising schemes of vengeance, and when Captain
Hardy, relenting, offered him a cabin aft, he sent back such a message
of refusal that the steward spent half an hour preparing a paraphrase.
The offer was not repeated, and the captain, despite the strong
representations of Bill and his friends, continued to eat the bread of
idleness before the mast.

CHAPTER XV

Mr. Adolphus Swann spent a very agreeable afternoon after his interview
with Nathan Smith in refusing to satisfy what he termed the idle
curiosity of his partner. The secret of Captain Nugent's whereabouts,
he declared, was not to be told to everybody, but was to be confided by a
man of insinuating address and appearance--here he looked at himself in a
hand-glass--to Miss Nugent. To be broken to her by a man with no
ulterior motives for his visit; a man in the prime of life, but not too
old for a little tender sympathy.

"I had hoped to have gone this afternoon," he said, with a glance at the
clock; "but I'm afraid I can't get away. Have you got much to do,
Hardy?"

"No," said his partner, briskly. "I've finished."

"Then perhaps you wouldn't mind doing my work for me, so that I can go?"
said Mr. Swann, mildly.

Hardy played with his pen. The senior partner had been amusing himself
at his expense for some time, and in the hope of a favour at his hands he
had endured it with unusual patience.

"Four o'clock," murmured the senior partner; "hadn't you better see about
making yourself presentable, Hardy?"

[Illustration: "Hadn't you better see about making yourself presentable,
Hardy?"]

"Thanks," said the other, with alacrity, as he took off his coat and
crossed over to the little washstand. In five minutes he had finished
his toilet and, giving his partner a little friendly pat on the shoulder,
locked up his desk.

"Well?" he said, at last.

"Well?" repeated Mr. Swann, with a little surprise.

"What am I to tell them?" inquired Hardy, struggling to keep his temper.

"Tell them?" repeated the innocent Swann. "Lor' bless my soul, how you
do jump at conclusions, Hardy. I only asked you to tidy yourself for my
sake. I have an artistic eye. I thought you had done it to please me."

"When you're tired of this nonsense," said the indignant Hardy, "I shall
be glad."

Mr. Swann looked him over carefully and, coming to the conclusion that
his patience was exhauste