d, in spite of all that Jack could do.

"Well," he said when he had finished, "I knew you could fight a bit, but
this is a revelation. 'Missus missed thee'--ha! ha! ha!"

It was well for Jack and Tom both that the steward and servants entered
at that moment with the dinner. Poetry soon gave place to soup, and
sentiment fled on the appearance of the roast-beef.

But when dessert was placed upon the table, and the servants had gone,
Jack, feeling bound to open his heart to somebody, told Tom about the
fool's paradise to which he meant to flit from Castle Despair, in which
he had dwelt so long.

Tom was a thoroughly practical kind of a young fellow, and now he shook
his head consideringly.

"M--m--m, well," he said, "the notion isn't half a bad one, you know,
perhaps. But, Jack, doesn't it savour somewhat of the reckless? Scotsmen
are all reckless, I know, especially, I believe, the Grant Mackenzies;
and your idea may be good, but--a--"

"Well, well, Tom, out with it, man. What _are_ you humming and hawing
about?"

"Why, it's like this, you see--and, mind, I speak to you as a
brother--it may be very pleasant, say, for a few friends met together to
take an extra glass of wine, and spend a happy evening, but shouldn't
they think of their heads in the morning?"

"I _have_ thought of my head in the morning, Tom; I _have_ thought of
the awakening. I do know that some day I shall see an announcement in
the _Times_ of the marriage of Sir Digby Auld and--heigh-ho! Gerty; that
then I shall have to leave my pretty paradise, and that the flaming
sword of honour will forbid my ever entering there again. But till then,
Tom, till then. Bother it all, man, you wouldn't have a fellow make
himself miserable all his life, simply because he knows he has got to go
to Davy Jones' locker at the finish?"

"Oh no," said Tom, gravely.

"Well, then, brother mine, I mean to live in my fool's paradise as long
as ever I can, and when the end comes I'll flit."

"Tom," he continued, after a pause of about a minute, "on board the old
_Ocean Pride_ I once told you the story of my love for Gerty; and I told
you also all I knew about dear father's difficulties. We both know now
how complete daddy's financial ruin is, but I have never yet told you
the true story of Gerty's engagement to Sir Digby Auld. I'll tell you
now, and you won't think so hard of the poor girl when I have finished."

Jack Mackenzie spoke for fully a quarter of an hour with