r lips to
his, and in another moment was gone.

*****

Harvey, with a sense of elation in his heart, walked for'ard to where
Morrison was standing in the waist.

"Why, man, ye look as if ye could take the best man aboard on for four
rounds," said the engineer, with a smile.

"I do feel pretty fit, Morrison," laughed the trader; "have you anything
to drink in your cabin?"

"Some real Loch Dhu, _not_ made in Sydney. Man, your eye is as bright as
a boy's."

*****

Just before eight bells were struck Chard came on deck. He was
carefully dressed in shining, well-starched white duck, and his dark,
coarsely-handsome face was aglow with satisfaction; he meant to "rub
it in" to Carr, and was only awaiting till Tessa Remington and Captain
Hendry were present to hear him do it. He knew she would be on deck in
a minute or so, and Hendry he could see was sitting at his cabin table
with his chart before him. Harvey was strolling about on the main deck,
smoking his first pipe for many weeks.

Presently Tessa appeared with her woman attendant. She, too, had dressed
in white, and for the time had discarded the wide Panama hat she usually
wore. Her face was radiant with happiness as she took the deck-chair
which Chard brought, and disposed herself comfortably, book in hand. She
had seen Harvey on the main deck, and knew she would at least have him
with her for a few minutes before dinner.

Hendry stepped out from his cabin.

"Ha, Miss Remington. You give an atmosphere of coolness to the whole
ship. Mr. Chard, big as he is, is only a minor reflection of your
dazzling whiteness."

"Thank you, Captain Hendry. I am quite sure that my father will be
astonished to learn that I have been paid so many compliments on board
the _Motutapu_. Had he known that you and Mr. Chard were such flatterers
he would not have let me come away."

Neither Chard nor Hendry could detect the ring of mockery in her tones.
They drew their chairs up near to that in which she was sitting and lit
their cigars, and she, impatient for Harvey, talked and laughed with
them, and wished them far away. Less than two hours before she had felt
an intense hatred of them, now she had but a quiet contempt for both
the handsome, "good-natured" supercargo and his sneaking, grey-bearded
jackal.

Eight bells struck, and presently Carr ascended the poop deck, took in
the little group on the starboard side of the skylight, and went over
to his own lounge, beside which