e deck, for dessert was the part of the meal which she most enjoyed,
so that when the major followed ten minutes later on, bearing a plate of
carefully selected fruit as a peace-offering, he was sure of a gracious
welcome.

"But you must never contradict me on Tuesdays, I can't support it!" she
said on one of these occasions, as he seated himself beside her, and
watched her raising the grapes to her lips with her little finger cocked
well in the air. "Especially when I am in the right, as you must
admit--"

"I admit nothing; but I pray and beseech you not to begin the discussion
over again. I am nine years older than you, and must surely be supposed
to know a little more."

"If you only realised it, that is just the reason why you don't. The
world advances so rapidly with every decade, that you of the last
generation have necessarily enjoyed fewer opportunities than myself and
my contemporaries, and are therefore behind the times. It's not your
fault, of course, and I don't advance it in any way as a reproach, but
still--"

Major Darcy stared at her, struck dumb by an insinuation of age which
was even more hurtful than that of inferior knowledge; but before he had
recovered himself sufficiently to reply, his companion had finished her
dessert, presented him calmly with the empty plate, and risen to take
her departure.

"Where are you going?" he queried in an injured tone; for it was one of
his pet grievances that the girl refused to be appropriated by himself
whenever he wished to enjoy her society. "Can't you sit still for an
hour at least? You have been rushing about all the morning. Surely now
you can take a rest!"

But Peggy shook her head.

"Impossible! I'm engaged straight away from now until tea-time. The
nurse of those peevish little Mortons is worn out, for the mother is
ill, and can't help her at all, so I promised to amuse the children for
an hour after lunch while she takes a nap. Then I have to play a game
of halma with old Mr Schute, and help Miss Ranger to dress and come on
deck. She thinks she can manage it to-day, and it will do her a world
of good to get some fresh air."

"But why need you fag yourself for all these people? Surely there is
some one else who can do it. Can you not send your maid to look after
the children, at least, and take that hour to yourself?"

Peggy smiled with complacent satisfaction.

"They would scream themselves hoarse. Of all the spoilt, bad-tempere