s if we had known
each other for a very long time indeed.

Next came our evening concert. One of the married ladies played
exceedingly well, and the little Spanish gentleman sang like a minor Sims
Reeves.

'Your sister sings, I feel sure,' he said to me.

'My aunt plays the harp and sings,' I answered.

'And the harp--you have him?'

'Yes.'

'Oh, bring him--bring him! I do love de harp!'

While my aunt played and sang, it would have been difficult to say which
of her audience listened with the most delighted attention. The doctor's
face was a study; the captain looked tenderly serious; Captain Bombazo,
the black-moustachioed Spaniard, was animation personified; his dark eyes
sparkled like diamonds, his very eyelids appeared to snap with pleasure.
Even the stewards and stewardess lingered in the passage to listen with
respectful attention, so that it is no wonder we boys were proud of our
clever aunt.

When she ceased at last there was that deep silence which is far more
eloquent than applause. The first to break it was Moncrieff.

'Well,' he said, with a deep sigh, 'I never heard the like o' that
afore!'

The friendly relations thus established in the saloon lasted all the
voyage long--so did the captain's, the doctor's, and little Spanish
officer's attentions to my aunt. She had made a triple conquest; three
hearts, to speak figuratively, lay at her feet.

Our voyage was by no means a very eventful one, and but little different
from thousands of others that take place every month.

Some degree of merriment was caused among the men, when, on the fourth
day, big Moncrieff led his mother out to walk the quarter-deck leaning on
his arm. She was indeed a marvel. It would have been impossible even to
guess at her age; for though her face was as yellow as a withered lemon,
and as wrinkled as a Malaga rasin, she walked erect and firm, and was
altogether as straight as a rush. She was dressed with an eye to comfort,
for, warm though the weather was getting, her cloak was trimmed with fur.
On her head she wore a neat old-fashioned cap, and in her hand carried a
huge green umbrella, which evening and morning she never laid down except
at meals.

[Illustration: 'I'll teach ye!']

This umbrella was a weapon of offence as well as defence. We had proof of
that on the very first day, for as he passed along the deck the second
steward had the bad manners to titter. Next moment the umbrella had
descended with crushing