orrid, after a fortnight on board this dear little yacht, to have to
get on to a crowded steamer, with no accommodation and lots of sea-sick
women, perhaps, and crying children. You surely cannot be in earnest?"

"I do not like it any more than you do, Minnie; but, as Tom says we had
better do it, and my husband agrees with him, I am afraid we must
submit. Do you really think it is quite necessary, Mr. Virtue? Minnie
and I are both good sailors, you know; and we would much rather have a
little extra tossing about on board the _Seabird_ than the discomforts
of a steamer."

"I certainly think that it will be best, Mrs. Grantham. You know very
well we would rather have you on board, and that we shall suffer from
your loss more than you will by going the other way; but there's no
doubt the wind is getting up, and though we don't feel it much here, it
must be blowing pretty hard outside. The _Seabird_ is as good a sea-boat
as anything of her size that floats; but you don't know what it is to be
out in anything like a heavy sea in a thirty-tonner. It would be
impossible for you to stay on deck, and we should have our hands full,
and should not be able to give you the benefit of our society.
Personally, I should not mind being out in the _Seabird_ in any weather,
but I would certainly rather not have ladies on board."

"You don't think we should scream, or do anything foolish, Mr. Virtue?"
Minnie Graham said indignantly.

"Not at all, Miss Graham. Still, I repeat, the knowledge that there are
women on board, delightful at other times, does not tend to comfort in
bad weather. Of course, if you prefer it, we can put off our start till
this puff of wind has blown itself out. It may have dropped before
morning. It may last some little time. I don't think myself that it
will drop, for the glass has fallen, and I am afraid we may have a spell
of broken weather."

"Oh no; don't put it off," Mrs. Grantham said; "we have only another
fortnight before James must be back again in London, and it would be a
great pity to lose three or four days perhaps; and we have been looking
forward to cruising about among the Channel Islands, and to St. Malo,
and all those places. Oh no; I think the other is much the better
plan--that is, if you won't take us with you."

"It would be bad manners to say that I won't, Mrs. Grantham; but I must
say I would rather not. It will be a very short separation. Grantham
will take you on shore at once, and a