ver. "My son thinks he will not
like it at all," said Sir John, smiling.

"Thinks, sir," said the captain, laughing. "Ah, he don't know. Not
like the sea! My word, what a weary world this would be if there were
no sea. Storm or calm it's grand or beautiful. There's nothing like
the sea. Oh, he don't know yet. You mean a short cruise or two, sir,
or a trip round the island from port to port. She's a little too big
for that."

"No," said Sir John, rousing himself from a reverie. "I intended to go
from here through to Ceylon, then on to Singapore, and along the
islands, touching here and there, till we reached some place at which we
would like to stay."

"Perhaps round by the Horn, touching at Monte Video, Rio, and the West
Indies?" cried the captain excitedly.

"Perhaps," said Sir John, smiling. "It depends."

"That means a couple of years to do it well, sir."

"I am not tied for time," said Sir John.

"That's a lot of money for a yacht," said the doctor thoughtfully.

"Yes, sir, a pretty good sum, but she's worth it, and whether you buy
the _Silver Star_ or no, I say, as an old seaman, don't you undertake
such a trip without a good boat under you, a man who knows his business
for sailing her, and a good crew. If you mind that, weather permitting,
you'll have a pleasant voyage worth a man's doing. With a clumsy craft,
a bad captain, and a scraped together mutinous crew, it will be a misery
to you from the day you start to the day you come back--if you ever do."

"That is quite right," said Sir John, rising, for the captain had risen
and picked up his cap. "What time shall we come on board to-morrow?"

"Come now if you like, sir."

"No, no; my son is tired. Will ten o'clock suit you?"

"Any hour you like to name, sir."

"Ten then," said Sir John. "Of course we can easily find a boatman to
take us off?"

"At ten o'clock, sir, a boat will be waiting for you at the pier end,"
said the captain in a sharp businesslike tone. "Good-evening,
gentlemen. Weather seems to be settling down for fine. My glass is
very steady."

"Hah!" said the doctor, "I rather like that man."

"I don't," said Jack sharply. "He is insufferable. He treated me as if
I were a child."

Sir John raised his brows a little in surprise to hear his son speak so
sharply.

"Don't judge rashly, Jack," he said. "You don't know the man yet;
neither do I; but he impressed me as being a very frank, straightforward
fellow, o