ps
I'd better say, don't you remember it."

"I'm a total abstainer, sir," said the porter proudly.

"You don't tell me? . . . One meets with such cases, about. . . .
Well,"--Captain Tobias turned to Captain Cai again, as one averting his
face from a sorrow to which no help can be proffered--"what's the
distance?"

"To the Ship? About half a mile--a nice easy walk, an' the barrow can
follow us."

They were no sooner outside the station premises, however, than Captain
Tobias called halt to the driver of the wheelbarrow, paid him, and
instructed him to proceed ahead.

"And you may tell the landlord," he added, "to expect us when he sees
us."

He watched the man out of sight before explaining this manoeuvre.
"'Twas clever of you to mistake me, in front of those fellows; but I
_meant_, what distance to this here widow's?"

"Eh? You don't mean to say--after your journey, too--"

"We'll get it over," said Captain Tobias firmly.

Captain Cai could not but approve. Here was prompt occasion not only to
repair and apologise for his small blunder, but to make Mrs Bosenna
acquainted with his paragon. She would soon correct that unfortunate
image of him as a coarse prize-fighting fellow.

To tell the truth, while reproaching himself for having evoked that
image by his clumsy praise, he had doubted it might be difficult to
efface: knowing his friend's shyness of womankind. He had doubted that
'Bias, who (to use his own words) "shunned the fair sex in all its
branches," might decline even to make the lady's acquaintance.
Lo! here was that admirable man setting his face and--sternly, for
friendship's sake--marching upon an introduction. What a friend!

They took their way up the valley, walking side by side. For a long
while both kept silence.

"Pretty country!" by-and-by observed Captain Tobias. He paused as if to
take stock of it, but his gaze was meditative rather than observant.
"Suckin' pigs, too, . . ." he added after a while, and resumed his way.

"What about 'em?"

"Why, to drop in on a lone woman unexpected, an' find her sittin' down
to roast suckin' pig . . . it's--it's like Solomon an' the lilies."

Captain Cai flushed half-guiltily. "I didn't say I called quite
unexpectedly, did I?"

"To break the ice, was your words."

"You see, I'd happened to meet Mrs Bosenna the evenin' before,
an'--hullo!"

They had come to the bend of the road beneath Rilla Farm, and either his
eyesight had played him a