fashions are
a-coming in, aren't they, Mr Gerrard? Just fancy any respectable man
taking a shilling for doing the work he is paid for! Fifteen pound a
month these steamer stewards get, so Mr Lacey tells me. My! But he won't
get no shilling from me."

"Indeed he shall not, Mrs Woodfall. You are my guest. Now come along,
please, as Miss Fraser and the others will be waiting for us."

"Mr Gerrard, isn't Miss Fraser a bonny girl--and can't she ride! I don't
want to be rude, sir, but you will have to have a mistress for Ocho
Rios; and she is one of the sweetest girls in the country, and right to
your hand, so to speak."

"Mrs Woodfall, you _are_ surprising me. First you give Jim a bull calf
worth hundreds of pounds, and then you try to fill my head with the idea
that a young lady whom I have only known for a few weeks----"

"Ah, Mr Gerrard! Trust a woman for knowing things that men don't see. I
saw her looking at you in the saloon--and, well, I know a thing or two."

"I am sure you do," said Gerrard laughingly, as they re-entered the
saloon, "but I should have to get another face before I ask any one to
marry me."

"Not at all. Why, Mr Gerrard, in a year or so all those red scars will
have gone, and you'll be the nice same nutty brown all over."

"How are you, Gerrard?" said a little white-haired man in uniform. "I am
glad to see you on board the _Gambler_ once more. You'll share my cabin,
of course?"

"Thanks, Captain MacAlister, I shall be delighted," and then the
master of the steamer, after an admiring glance at Kate, and a look of
wondering sympathy at the left side of Gerrard's face, hurried on deck
to the bridge.

"Two big bottles of Pommery, steward; never mind the tea. Quick,
please," cried Lacey to the steward; "the skipper has gone on the
bridge, and we'll just have time for a doch and dorrish, Miss Fraser."
The steward soon had the bottles opened.

"Gerrard, me boy, I wish you lashings of luck, and you too, Miss Fraser.
Jim, my son, don't forget to write. Come, Mrs Woodfall; you really must,
or I'll not speak to ye for a month. Here's to the bright eyes of
the ladies! Miss Fraser, don't be after playing with any more
alligators--they're nasty things for ladies to handle. Now I must be
going; there's the last bell," and shaking hands all round once more,
the genial Irishman left the saloon with the Woodfalls to go on shore,
leaving Gerrard and his party to make their way on deck.

The engines throbbe