disdained him. Despite his soiled and
most unhappy appearance he spoke with the accents of a gentleman, and
when his name was repeated to Mrs. Calvert she mused over it with a
smile.

"Dillingham? Dillingham of T? Why, of course, Dolly dear, he's of good
family. One of the best in Maryland. I reckon I'll have to go into the
cabin and receive him. Is it still full of those ill-bred men, who
swarmed over this boat as if they owned it?"

"Yes, Aunt Betty, pretty full. Some, a few, have gone. Those who
haven't want to see the 'Boss.'"

Mrs. Calvert peered from her stateroom whither she had fled at the
first invasion of visitors, and smiled. Then she remarked:

"Just go ashore and be interviewed there, dear."

"Auntie! What do you mean?"

"I fancy you're the real 'boss,' or head of this company, when it
comes to fact. It's _your_ Water Lily, _you_ are bearing the expenses,
I'm your guest, and 'where the honey is the bees will gather.' If
these good people once understand that it's you who carry the
purse----"

"But I don't! You know that. I gave it to Mrs. Bruce. I asked her to
take care of the money because--Well, because I'm careless, sometimes,
you know, and might lose it."

"It's the same thing. Ask her to go with you and advise you, if there
is anything you need. But, remember, money goes fast if one doesn't
take care."

It sounded rather strange to Dorothy to hear Aunt Betty say this for
it wasn't the lady's habit to discuss money matters. However, she
hadn't time to think about that for here was Mrs. Bruce, urging:

"Dorothy, do come and do something with these men. There's one fairly
badgering me to buy cantaloupes--and they do look nice--but with all
the water-melons--Yes, sir; this is the 'Boss;' this is Miss Calvert,
the owner of the Water Lily."

A man with a basket of freshly dug potatoes had followed Mrs. Bruce
to the door of Mrs. Calvert's stateroom which, with a hasty "Beg
pardon" from within, had been closed in their faces. Another man,
carrying smaller baskets of tempting plums, was trying to out-talk his
neighbor; while a third, dangling a pair of chickens above the heads
of the other two, was urging the sale of these, "raised myself, right
here on Annyrunnell sile! Nicest, fattest, little br'ilers ever you
see, Ma'am!"

"Huh! that pair of chickens wouldn't make a mouthful for our
family!" cried the matron, desperately anxious to clear the cabin
of these hucksters. She had made it her busi