at. I've often been
drenched when out in the yacht with father, but one soon got dry again."

"Didn't you catch a bad cold?" he said, out of the towel.

"Oh no."

Then he looked in his little glass as he steadied himself with one hand,
and then in his highly-pitched voice he said, as he looked round at me
with a faint laugh, and passed his hand over his chin--

"It's a very good job, isn't it, that I don't have to shave? I'm sure I
couldn't use a razor with the ship rising and falling like this."

Thud! Whish!

The little round window was darkened for a few moments, and Mr Preddle
held on with both hands.

"What's that?" he cried, excitedly. "Is there any danger?"

"Danger? No," I said with a laugh. "It was only a wave. Good job you
hadn't opened your window. Don't you ever shave, then, sir?"

"No," he said with a sigh; "my beard never came."

"Then it never will," I remember thinking to myself as I looked at his
smooth cheeks and chin, while he carefully combed and brushed his hair
as he stood in his trousers and shirt, and then opened a little box and
took out three neckerchiefs, all different in colour.

"Which one would you wear, Mr Dale?" he said, as he looked up at me.

"Oh, I don't know," I cried merrily; "which you like best--the blue one.
There's plenty of blue sky and blue sea now."

"Yes, you're right," he said, eagerly. "And--you wouldn't mind, would
you?"

"Mind what, sir?"

"Showing me how to tie a sailor's knot. I never could manage it
properly."

I showed him, and then he put on a white waistcoat and a blue serge
jacket, like that worn by a yachting-man, buttoned up tightly, and
looked at me again.

"It's very kind of you to help me," he said; "but do you think it's fine
enough for a straw hat?"

I shook my head as I pictured his round, plump, white face under the
straight brim, and thought how comic it would look.

"I should wear that," I said, pointing to a yachtsman's blue woollen
peaked cap. "There's so much wind, and it will keep on better."

"Of course; you are quite right," he said. "It's because you have had
so much experience of the sea. But it isn't quite so becoming as the
straw, is it?"

I stared at him wonderingly as I thought how vain he must be; but I said
it looked right enough.

"I should keep the straw hat for when we get down into the hot parts,
sir," I said.

"To be sure; so I will. Do you know, that wash seems to have done me a
lot of good