she said suddenly, as a step sounded above. "Oh, you
will get it!"

She rose from her seat, and, standing aside to let her father pass,
went on deck. The skipper sank on to a locker, and, raising the tea-pot,
poured himself out a cup of tea, which he afterwards decanted into a
saucer. He had just raised it to his lips, when he saw something over
the rim of it which made him put it down again untasted, and stare
blankly at the mantel-piece.

"Who the--what the--who the devil's done this?" he inquired in a
strangulated voice, as he rose and regarded the portrait.

"I did," said the mate.

"You did?" roared the other. "You? What for?"

"I don't know," said the mate awkwardly. "Something seemed to come over
me all of a sudden, and I felt as though I MUST do it."

"But what for? Where's the sense of it?" said the skipper.

The mate shook his head sheepishly.

"But what did you want to do such a monkey-trick FOR?" roared the
skipper.

"I don't know," said the mate doggedly; "but it's done, ain't it? and
it's no good talking about it."

The skipper looked at him in wrathful perplexity. "You'd better have
advice when we get to port, Jack," he said at length; "the last few
weeks I've noticed you've been a bit strange in your manner. You go an'
show that 'ed of yours to a doctor."

The mate grunted, and went on deck for sympathy, but, finding Miss Alsen
in a mood far removed from sentiment, and not at all grateful, drew off
whistling. Matters were in this state when the skipper appeared, wiping
his mouth.

"I've put another portrait on the mantel-piece, Jack," he said
menacingly; "it's the only other one I've got, an' I wish you to
understand that if that only smells mustard, there'll be such a row in
this 'ere ship that you won't be able to 'ear yourself speak for the
noise."

He moved off with dignity as his daughter, who had overheard the remark,
came sidling up to the mate and smiled on him agreeably.

"He's put another portrait there," she said softly.

"You'll find the mustard-pot in the cruet," said the mate coldly.

Miss Alsen turned and watched her father as he went forward, and then,
to the mate's surprise, went below without another word. A prey to
curiosity, but too proud to make any overture, he compromised matters by
going and standing near the companion.

"Mate!" said a stealthy whisper at the foot of the ladder.

The mate gazed calmly out to sea.

"Jack!" said the girl again, in a lower w