parlour with a flushed face and widely
open eyes.

The biggest man she had ever seen, or _heard_, she said, wanted to see
Miss Seaward.

Why did he want to see her and what was his name?

She didn't know, and had omitted to ask his name, having been so
frightened that she had left him at the door, which she had shut against
him.

"An', please, Miss," continued Liffie, in a tone of suppressed
eagerness, "if I was you I'd lock the parlour door in case he bu'sts in
the outer one. You might open the winder an' screech for the pleece."

"Oh! Liffie, what a frightened thing you are," remonstrated Jessie, "go
and show the man in at once."

"Oh! no, Miss," pleaded Liffie, "you'd better 'ave 'im took up at once.
You've no notion what dreadful men that sort are. _I_ know 'em well.
We've got some of 'em where _we_ live, and--and they're _awful_!"

Another knock at this point cut the conversation short, and Kate herself
went to open the door.

"May I have a word with Miss Seaward?" asked the captain respectfully.

"Ye'es, certainly," answered Kate, with some hesitation, for, although
reassured by the visitor's manner, his appearance and voice alarmed her
too. She ushered him into the parlour, however, which was suddenly
reduced to a mere bandbox by contrast with him.

Being politely asked to take a chair, he bowed and took hold of one, but
on regarding its very slender proportions--it was a cane chair--he
smiled and shook his head. The smile did much for him.

"Pray take this one," said Jessie, pointing to the old arm-chair, which
was strong enough even for him, "our visitors are not usually such--
such--"

"Thumping walruses! out with it, Miss Seaward," said the captain,
seating himself--gently, for he had suffered in this matter more than
once during his life--"I'm used to being found fault with for my size."

"Pray do not imagine," said Jessie, hastening to exculpate herself,
"that I could be so very impolite as--as to--"

"Yes, yes, I know that," interrupted the captain, blowing his nose--and
the familiar operation was in itself something awful in such a small
room--"and I _am_ too big, there's no doubt about that however, it can't
be helped. I must just grin and bear it. But I came here on business,
so we'll have business first, and pleasure, if you like, afterwards."

"You may go now," said Kate at this point to Liffie Lee, who was still
standing transfixed in open-mouthed amazement gazing at the visi