, particularly Hephzy's, seemed to please him a great deal.
At some of them he laughed uproariously. At last he looked at his watch.

"Almost eleven," he observed. "I must be getting around to the office.
Miss Cahoon will you excuse Kent and me for an hour or so? I have his
letters of credit and the tickets in our safe and he had better come
around with me and get them. If you have any last bits of shopping to
do, now is your opportunity. Or you might wait here if you prefer. We
will be back at half-past twelve and lunch together."

I started. Hephzy sprang from the chair.

"Half-past twelve!" I cried.

"Lunch together!" gasped Hephzy. "Why, Mr. Campbell! the 'Princess
Eulalie' sails at noon. You said so yourself!"

Jim smiled. "I know I did," he replied, "but that is immaterial. You are
not concerned with the 'Princess Eulalie.' Your passages are booked
on the 'Plutonia' and she doesn't leave her dock until one o'clock
to-morrow morning. We will meet here for lunch at twelve-thirty. Come,
Kent."

I didn't attempt an answer. I am not exactly sure what I did. A few
minutes later I walked out of that room with Campbell and I have a hazy
recollection of leaving Hephzy seated in the rocker and of hearing her
voice, as the door closed, repeating over and over:

"The 'Plutonia'! My soul and body! The 'Plutonia'! Me--ME on the
'Plutonia'!"

What I said and did afterwards doesn't make much difference. I know I
called my publisher a number of disrespectful names not one of which he
deserved.

"Confound you!" I cried. "You know I wouldn't have dreamed of taking a
passage on a ship like that. She's a floating Waldorf, everyone says so.
Dress and swagger society and--Oh, you idiot! I wanted quiet! I wanted
to be alone! I wanted--"

Jim interrupted me.

"I know you did," he said. "But you're not going to have them. You've
been alone too much. You need a change. If I know the 'Plutonia'--and
I've crossed on her four times--you're going to have it."

He burst into a roar of laughter. We were in a cab, fortunately, or his
behavior would have attracted attention. I could have choked him.

"You imbecile!" I cried. "I have a good mind to throw the whole thing up
and go home to Bayport. By George, I will!"

He continued to chuckle.

"I see you doing it!" he observed. "How about your--what's her
name?--Hephzibah? Going to tell her that it's all off, are you? Going
to tell her that you will forfeit your passage money and h