little himself, not even a word about his beloved
ship.

"We deserve this," said the barrister, gaily,
"after our hard work to-day. Excellent wine
it is."

"You should drink, Mr. Colter, to our full
and perfect reconciliation; and promise, over
Captain Magregor's capital champagne, so
kindly given, never to offend me any more. You
must get rid of your animosity to me. Will
you promise?"

"Certainly," he answered, merrily, "with all
my heart. I am deeply penitent. I feel as if
I had committed contempt of court, and had
been told to attend at the sitting of his lordship
to-morrow. Indeed, how could I feel anything
but cordial good will to a person about whom I
am beginning gradually to know everything."

"Know everything?" she said, a frown coming
on her forehead. "You are beginning again.
Now, I warn you!"

"Yes," said he, "but we have not drunk our
champagne together yet. It is really the oddest
thing. There must be some mysterious relation
between us, for these things force themselves on
me. Now to-day, at the luggage, I found out
your house and street!"

"Champagne, ma'am?" said the waiter.

"No," she said, fiercely, "I'll not drink with
you. I'll have no reconciliation."

"Pray hear me first," he said. "Stay a moment,
waiter. I saw a portmanteau swung up
rather roughly (by the way, captain, a hint to
your fellows would be no harm, they are only
too willing), when the side grazed against the
hold, and half tore off a card. I saw it wouldn't
stay on a minute, and really with the best
intentions, though you won't credit it, took it off.
On the face was your name, Mrs. Arlington,
written in a very pretty hand. On the back was,
'To be left at Captain Arlington's, Grove Villa,
Chatham. Seven and sixpence to pay. 11/6/63.'
(You know the odd way they write that.) The
very day before our vessel sailed. Obviously the
trunk-maker's bill for a lock or repairs."

She almost ground her teeth, and the wine
shook in her hand.

"You will not stop till you get a lesson," she
said, grimly. "I am not a woman to let myself
be persecuted. I can do nothing myself; but
if I ask other gentlemen" -- and she looked at
Captain Magregor -- "I am sure they will help
me. Perhaps the next thing you will tell us at
dinner, that you have opened my little trunk,
and searched it."

"I think," said Captain Magregor, who had
been appealed to, "you might let this lady's
affairs alone. If we have barristers aboard, I
don't see why we need have barristers' ways.
In fact, now, as captain of this craft, I tell you
plainly, Mr. Colter, I won't have it. I have
authority here, and I must require you to give
over prying into this lady's business, or looking
into her trunks and that sort of thing.

He looked to her, whose eyes turned to him
with speechless gratitude. There was a silence.
Half the table heard that speech. Mr. Colter
drank a little wine, then called in a clear voice
to a gentleman a few places from him:

"Mr. Wilson! you were next me to-day
when a portmanteau came out of the hold with
a card hanging to it. Would that card have
dropped off at a touch?"

"At a touch," said Mr. Wilson.

"Did I save it from dropping back into the
hold?"

"You did," said Mr. Wilson.

"Who was it first perceived that there was
writing on the back?"

"I did, certainly," said Mr. Wilson. "In
fact, I remarked it as the trunk came up."

"There!" said Mr. Colter, calmly. "So
much for looking into this lady's trunks. As for
my remark yesterday about the husband of this
lady, I looked, out of the merest idle curiosity,
to see his rank and regiment, in an Army
List --"

"An Army List!" she repeated, starting.

"Yes," he went on. "An Army List of the
present month, and this is only the seventeenth,
and I found him there. But that, of course, must
be a printer's error (these things are edited so
carelessly), for I think we understood you to
say your husband is not alive?"

"Never," she answered, excitedly. "I said
I was afraid he might be dead or dying, as I
left him very ill."

"Then I mistook," he went on. "Now, that
being so, I appeal to the company whether our
excellent captain has not travelled a little beyond
what is proper, in the way he has spoken
to me. Really it seems to me a little
unwarrantable! and if I was one of your people with
a grievance, and were to bring the matter
officially before my friend Sir Charles Robinson,
chairman of the company, he might look at it
rather seriously. Now, I put it to our
captain, a brave man, and one of the best seamen
going, whether he has not been a little rough
with me to-day."

The captain coloured.

"Well," said he, "perhaps I spoke too
strongly, and perhaps you are right, Mr. Colter.
You know I have great responsibility."

The look of anger and contempt the lady gave
him was beyond description. She rose at once.

"I see you have deserted me," she said, in a
whisper, to the captain. "Well, so be it. I
shall go on deck, and make the wind and the sea
my friends. They, indeed, are faithful."

And she passed out. In about ten minutes
the captain followed her.

Very soon the curiosity of the passengers had
been excited about this lady and her doings;
and I could see that the barrister's little speech
had produced a marked impression. Some of
the gentlemen took her part; but the ladies
were, to a lady, against her.

The barrister was very pleasant on the subject.

"I have got so into the habit of putting this
and that together," he said, "that really I
can't help speculating, and following out my
speculations in this way. Now, this lady,
though I really may be putting myself in bodily