ith you on Monday, to lunch Tuesday; at breakfast
yesterday, and again this morning. Why, I'll eat you out of house and
home!"

"Never fear, Captain," said Mrs Gilmour smiling. "Sure, I'll take the
risk of that."

"But your servants, ma'am," he argued, as Nell took away his hat and
cane. "I'm afraid I give them a lot of trouble, and they'll be
springing a mutiny on you."

"I don't know what poor Sarah'll do, sure; you've taised her so!"
replied Mrs Gilmour jokingly. "But, Molly the cook's your friend, I
know. She says you're the only one in the house that properly
appreciates her curries."

"Faith and she turns them out well, ma'am; and you can tell her so, with
my compliments," said the old sailor with much heartiness as he winked
to Nellie. "As for `that good Sarah,' ma'am, I shall have to make my
peace with her by and by, with your permission."

After breakfast, the Captain and Nellie, with the assistance of Bob and
Dick, even "the good Sarah," too, being pressed into the service, set
about preparing the sea-anemones and other specimens they had collected
the previous day for their new home in the aquarium which Mrs Gilmour
had bought for the purpose shortly before.

This aquarium was in appearance somewhat like an inverted dish-cover of
glass--one of the best shapes to be had. This sort being free from
those leaky joints that are the invariable accompaniment of all-square
cisterns; while globular ones have not got sufficient space at the
bottom for rock-work, or those little hiding-places that delight the
hearts of the denizens of the deep when they are free agents and in
their own waters.

Presently, under the active superintendence of the old sailor, the
whilom empty glass receptacle began to assume a more picturesque aspect.

To commence with, a groundwork was constructed of fine white sand and
shells, each of the latter being washed in repeated baths of clear and
fresh sea-water, which had been brought up from the beach in the
morning, before being introduced into the aquarium; where, if success be
desired, cleanliness is as essential to the well-being of its little
tenants as it is deemed to be amongst human beings.

The Captain said something to this effect while making Nellie wash the
different shells, which he then arranged along the sandy bottom, which
was made to slope from the back of the structure down to the centre,
forming a sort of hollow there; and then rising again in front.

"So