The skipper put his ideas into practice as soon as they reached London.
Between Wapping and Charing Cross he lost the cook three times. Miss
Jewell found him twice, and the third time she was so difficult
that the skipper had to join in the treasure-hunt himself. The cook
listened unmoved to a highly-colored picture of his carelessness from
the lips of Miss Jewell, and bestowed a sympathetic glance upon the
skipper as she paused for breath.

"It's as bad as taking a child out," said the latter, with well-affected
indignation.

"Worse," said the girl, tightening her lips.

With a perseverance worthy of a better cause the skipper nudged the
cook's arm and tried again. This time he was successful beyond his
wildest dreams, and, after ten minutes' frantic search, found that he
had lost them both. He wandered up and down for hours, and it was past
eleven when he returned to the ship and found the cook waiting for him.

"We thought something 'ad happened to you," said the cook. "Kate has
been in a fine way about it. Five minutes after you lost me she found
me, and we've been hunting 'igh and low ever since."

Miss Jewell expressed her relief the next evening, and, stealing a
glance at the face of the skipper, experienced a twinge of something
which she took to be remorse. Ignoring the cook's hints as to theatres,
she elected to go for a long 'bus ride, and, sitting in front with the
skipper, left Mr. Jewell to keep a chaperon's eye on them from three
seats behind.

Conversation was for some time disjointed; then the brightness and
crowded state of the streets led the skipper to sound his companion as
to her avowed taste for a country life.

"I should love it," said Miss Jewell, with a sigh. "But there's no
chance of it; I've got my living to earn."

"You might--might marry somebody living in the country," said the
skipper, in trembling tones.

Miss Jewell shuddered. "Marry!" she said, scornfully. "Most people do,"
said the other.

"Sensible people don't," said the girl. "You haven't," she added, with a
smile.

"I'm very thankful I haven't," retorted the skipper, with great meaning.

"There you are!" said the girl, triumphantly.

"I never saw anybody I liked," said the skipper, "be--before."

"If ever I did marry," said Miss Jewell, with remarkable composure, "if
ever I was foolish enough to do such a thing, I think I would marry a
man a few years younger than myself."

"Younger?" said the dismayed skipp