in this boat all night."

"It isn't a bad place to stay," I replied, glancing down into the
handsome and comfortable cabin.

"Perhaps not; but I had rather be at home. My father and mother will
both worry about me."

"They will ascertain before night where you are; and perhaps Mr.
Waterford will return to the city and inform them that you are safe."

"He will not be likely to say anything about me."

"Your father sent me to follow Mr. Whippleton, and I am now literally
obeying his orders."

I saw that my fair companion was uneasy in a direction she did not care
to explain; and I am sure I respected her all the more for the delicacy
of feeling she exhibited. If she and her mother objected to her being
alone in the yacht with Mr. Waterford, they might also object to me. I
deemed it necessary to say and do all I could to assure her of her own
safety.

"Can you steer a boat, Miss Collingsby?" I asked.

"I have steered this boat," she replied.

"Would you like to take the tiller for a while?"

"I can't steer unless some one tells me which way to go."

"You can follow the Florina--can you not?"

"Why do you ask, Philip?"

"I wish to secure the anchor, and put the cook-room and cabin in order.
If it should come on to blow, all our dishes would be smashed."

"I will try to steer."

I gave her the helm, and told her to keep the foremast in range with
the Florina. The tiller was long, so that it was not very hard to
steer, though we were going before the wind. I soon found that she
understood the business very well. I told her how to keep the boat
steady, and in a short time she was able to do it to her own and to my
satisfaction. I had on some good clothes, and I did not care to injure
them at the dirty work of cleaning and stowing the anchor. I went below
and drew on a pair of old overalls I found in the cook-room, which I
had used while getting dinner. In the cabin I took a coat and an old
hat, belonging to the owner of the Marian, from a locker, and these
completed my outfit. Thus rigged I went on deck again.

"Dear me! How you startled me!" exclaimed Marian, as I stepped into the
standing-room.

"Why, what's the matter?"

"I thought it was Mr. Waterford. You looked just like him when you came
up those stairs. You have on the clothes he wore the last time I sailed
with him."

"He is larger than I am."

"I know he is; but that hat and coat made you look just like him when
you were coming up. No matt