f his
arm. It was a handsome cup, and it flashed in the sunlight. The Hon.
Secretary doffed his yachting cap. A dozen men close behind him doffed
their caps at the signal. They were the successful competitors of the
dinghy race, mixed up with committee-men: they had come to receive their
prizes. The competing boats, their sails lowered, had been brought
alongside, and lay tethered, trailing off from the ship's quarter,
rubbing shoulders in a huddle.

Cai, mounting to the deck close behind Dinah, who had followed her
mistress, was met by the Hon. Secretary with the announcement that
everything had been ready these ten minutes.

Almost before she could catch her breath, Mrs Bosenna found the cup
thrust into her hands; the band in the fore part of the vessel ceased--
or, to speak more accurately, smothered--"Champagne Charlie"; the group
before her fell back to form a semicircle and urged forward the abashed
first-prize winner, who stood rubbing one ankle against another and
awkwardly touching his forelock, while a silence fell, broken only by
voices from the boats around calling "Order! Or-der for the speech!"

Mrs Bosenna, recognising the champion in spite of his blushes, collected
her courage, smiled, and said--

"Why, 'tis Walter Sobey!"

"Servant, ma'am!" Mr Sobey touched his forelock again and grinned, as
who should add, "You and me, ma'am, meets in strange places."

"Well, I never! . . . How things do turn out!" It crossed Mrs Bosenna's
mind that on the last occasion of her addressing a word to Walter Sobey
he had been employed by her to cart manure for her roses: and across
this recollection floated a sense of money wasted--for to what service
could Walter Sobey, inhabitant of a three-roomed cottage, put a
two-handled loving-cup embossed in silver?

There was no time, however, for hesitation. . . . With the most gracious
of smiles she took the cup in both hands, and presented it to the
champion.

"'Tis good, anyhow, to feel it goes to a neighbour: and--and if the
worst comes to the worst, Walter, you can always take it back to the
shop and change it for something useful."

"Thank 'ee, ma'am," said Mr Sobey, taking the cup respectfully.
He backed a pace or two, gazed around, and caught the eye of the Hon.
Secretary. "There's a money prize, too, attached to it--ain't there?"
he was heard to ask. "Leastways, 'twas so said 'pon the bills."
Mr Sobey was proud of his victory; the prouder because he h