on so pleasantly in
argument, as he was responsible for the introduction, and he now
ventured on a statement in the hopes, no doubt, of cementing the
acquaintanceship.

"This gentleman's coming along with us, Mr. McCrae," he said.

The engineer looked at me.

"I have put in for doctor, but it's by no means certain," I explained.

"Oh, well, we'll hope it is," he said affably, and to the
quartermaster: "Ellison, this gentleman'll, maybe, take a finger of
whisky to his own health--and ours," he added, with a relaxation of his
grim face at his jest. "Ye'll find a bottle in my cabin."

So when the quartermaster had returned, once more I had to drink to the
success of my application. It appeared that the _Sea Queen_ was peopled
with amiable spirits, if I excepted the boatswain; and as I went over
the side I congratulated myself on having already made the acquaintance
of two more of my shipmates on a friendly footing--if I were destined
to the appointment.

On my way home it struck me that I had already heard of the affair of
Prince Frederic. The remark of the man at the next table in the "Three
Tuns" must have referred to the scandal, and as I reflected on that, I
could see in my mind's eye the little clerk's head go round in a stare
at our neighbours.

CHAPTER III

MADEMOISELLE TREBIZOND

Pye had interpreted his employer's face correctly, and Lane had not
boasted unduly. On Wednesday evening I received a letter appointing me
to the position of doctor, and at the same time informing me of my
remuneration. This was well enough, as it chanced; though not on too
liberal a scale, it was yet sufficient to meet my wants, and mentally I
cast myself adrift from Wapping with a psalm of thankfulness. The _Sea
Queen_ was to sail on Friday, and so I had little time left; yet by a
lucky chance I was enabled to dispose of my practice "on the nail," to
use a convenient colloquialism, and, with that adventitious sum of
money, equipped and fortified myself for my voyage. I paid two
preliminary visits to the yacht, but found no one of importance on
board, and it was not until the actual afternoon of our departure that
I made the acquaintance of any more of my shipmates.

We warped out of the docks, and dropped down the river unexpectedly,
the captain on his bridge at intervals, and the pilot all the time, and
at ten o'clock we reached Gravesend, where we anchored in the stream.
It was blowing hard of a cold night, and the