htily accentuated, as you will suppose, by
having the darling of my heart in my little ship with me. I had a long
talk with Caudel that afternoon, and despite my eager desire to remain
at sea, I believe I would have been glad had he advised that the
_Spitfire_ should be steered for the nearest harbour. But his counsel
was all the other way.

"Lord love ye, Mr. Barclay, sir," he exclaimed, "what's agoing wrong
that we should tarn to and set it right? Here's a breeze of wind
that's adoing all that could be asked for. I dorn't say it ain't
thick, but there's nothen in it to take notice of. Of course, you've
only got to say the word, sir, and I'll put the hellum up; but even for
that there job it would be proper to make sartin first of all where we
are. There's no want of harbours under our lee from Portland Bill to
Bolt Head, but I can't trust to my dead reckoning, seeing what's
involved," said he, casting a damp eye at the skylight; "and my motto
is, there's nothen like seeing when you're on such a coast as this
here. Having come all this way it 'ud be a pity to stop now."

"So long as you're satisfied!" I exclaimed; and no doubt he was, though
I believe he was influenced by vanity too. Our putting into a harbour
might affect him as a reflection upon his skill. He would also suppose
that, if we entered a harbour, we should travel by rail to our
destination, which would be as though he were told we could not trust
him farther. After the service he had done me it was not to be
supposed I could causelessly give the worthy fellow offence.

"You steer by the compass, I suppose?" said I.

"By nothen else, sir," he answered in a voice of wonder.

"Well, I might have known that," said I, laughing at my own stupid
question that yet had sense in it too. "I should have asked you if the
compass is to be trusted?"

"Ay, sir. He's a first-class compass. There's nothen to make him go
wrong. Yet it's astonishing what a little thing will put a compass
out. I've heered of a vessel that was pretty nigh run ashore all along
of the helmsman--not because he couldn't steer; a better hand never
stood at a wheel; but because he'd been physicking of himself with iron
and steel, and had taken so much of the blooming stuff that the compass
was wrong all the time he was at the helm."

"A very good story," said I.

"I'm sure you'll forgive me, sir," he proceeded, "for asking if your
young lady wears any steel bones about her--c