teresting," said the sympathetic Miss Gentle.

Whatever more she intended to say was checked by a large parti-coloured
ball hitting her on the cheek, and falling into her lap. It was
followed up and captured with a shriek by the two little Todses and the
three little Podses. At the same moment the gong sounded for tea. Thus
the conversation came to a close.

The voyage of the _Trident_--with the exception of the gale before
referred to--was prosperous until her arrival in the waters of the
northern hemisphere. By that time the passengers had crystallised into
groups, the nobodies and self-forgetting-bodies fraternised, and became
more and more friendly as time went on. The uproarious-bodies got up
concerts and charades. The hatred of Pods for Tods intensified. The
arrogance of Major Beak, and the good-natured modesty of Mr Bright,
increased. The noise of Dr Bassoon made the manner of Mr Silky quite
agreeable by contrast, while the pride of Lady Tower and Mr Stiff
formed a fine, deep-shade to the neutral tint of Miss Gentle, and the
high-light of Miss Squeaker.

Gradually, however, feelings began to modify. The squalls and breezes
that ruffled the human breasts on board the _Trident_ moderated in exact
proportion as that vessel penetrated and experienced the storms of what
should have been named the _in_-temperate zone.

At last they drew near to the shores of Old England, and then there
burst upon them a nor-wester, so violent that within the first hour the
close-reefed topsails were blown to ribbons, and the foretopmast, with
the jib-boom, was carried away. Of course this was a comparatively
small matter in a steamer, but when it was afterwards discovered that
the vessel had sprung a leak, things began to look more serious.

"It's only a trifle, Miss Gentle; don't alarm yourself. We can put that
to rights in a few minutes," said Major Beak, with the confident air of
a man whose nautical education had begun with Noah, and continued
uninterruptedly down to the present time.

"He's a hooked-nosed humbug, Miss Gentle, an' knows nothing about it,"
growled the captain.

"Water rising rapidly in the hold, sir," said the carpenter, coming aft
and touching his cap.

"Rig the pumps," said the captain, and the pumps were rigged. What is
more to the purpose, they were wrought with a will by the crew; but in
spite of their efforts the water continued to rise.

It might have done a student of human nature good