"What?" shouted the captain, hardly able to believe his ears.

"Captain Nugent was your guest," pursued the other; "he got on your ship
by accident, and he should have been treated decently as a saloon
passenger."

"And been apologized to for coming on board, I suppose?" suggested the
captain.

"It wouldn't have been amiss," was the reply.

The captain leaned back in his chair and regarded him thoughtfully.
"I can't think what's the matter with you, Jem," he said.

"Ordinary decent ideas, that's all," said his son, scathingly.

"There's something more in it than that," said the other, positively.
"I don't like to see this love-your-enemy business with you, Jem; it
ain't natural to you. Has your health been all right while I've been
away?"

"Of course it has," said his son, curtly. "If you didn't want Captain
Nugent aboard with you why didn't you put him ashore? It wouldn't have
delayed you long. Think of the worry and anxiety you've caused poor Mrs.
Kingdom."

"A holiday for her," growled the captain.

"It has affected her health," continued his son; "and besides, think of
his daughter. She's a high-spirited girl, and all Sunwich is laughing
over her father's mishap."

"Nugent fell into his own trap," exclaimed the captain, impatiently.
"And it won't do that girl of his any harm to be taken down a peg or two.
Do her good. Knock some of the nonsense out of her."

"That's not the way to speak of a lady," said Jem, hotly.

The offended captain regarded him somewhat sourly; then his face changed,
and he got up from his chair and stood before his son with consternation
depicted on every feature.

"You don't mean to tell me," he said, slowly; "you don't mean to tell me
that you're thinking anything of Kate Nugent?"

"Why not?" demanded the other, defiantly; "why shouldn't I?"

Captain Hardy, whistling softly, made no reply, but still stood eyeing
him.

"I thought there was some other reason for your consideration besides
'ordinary decent ideas,'" he said, at last. "When did it come on? How
long have you had it?"

Mr. Hardy, jun., in a studiously unfilial speech, intimated that these
pleasantries were not to his taste.

"No, of course not," said the captain, resuming his seat. "Well, I'm
sorry if it's serious, Jem, but I never dreamt you had any ideas in that
quarter. If I had I'd have given old Nugent the best bunk on the ship
and sung him to sleep myself. Has she given you any encouragemen