, Mr Dale. I really think I feel better."

"Then you'll be all right now, sir. I should get the steward to give me
a basin of soup."

He shuddered, and gave me a look of horror.

"I couldn't touch it," he whispered. "Don't ask me. Not now."

"Wait till you've been on deck a bit, sir."

"Yes, yes," he said, excitedly; and after another look in the glass he
told me he was ready, and we went out to go on deck: but he declined to
go up the steps to where the captain would be with the other passengers,
and said he would go forward to have a look at the fish; but before he
had gone many steps, he altered his mind.

"I do feel better, Mr Dale," he said, with a half-laugh, "and I think I
will go up and pay my respects to the captain and--and the other
passengers," and then, talking eagerly to me about his fish, and
carefully preserving his balance, we went up on the poop-deck, with the
ship gliding along swiftly and more easily.

The captain saw us, and came to meet him along with Mr Brymer, the
first mate, and both shook hands warmly.

"Glad, to see you on deck, sir. There, you've got over your bit of
trouble. It was rather a rough beginning."

"Yes, and of course I'm not much used to the sea, Captain Berriman,"
said Mr Preddle, as he walked on by his side with legs rather widely
apart, I following behind with Mr Brymer.

It seemed to me then that Mr Preddle was managing so as to get up to
where Mr Denning sat with his sister, and the next minute they were
abreast of them, and the captain said in his bluff way--

"There, Mr Denning, another of your fellow-passengers has found out the
advantage of coming on deck."

"Yes," said Mr Preddle, hastily, as he took off his cap to Miss
Denning, and then bowed to her brother. "So fresh and bright after the
clo--clo--clo--Oh dear me!"

I was obliged to laugh, and though Mr Denning looked angry, I saw Miss
Denning turn away to hide a smile, for the captain and Mr Brymer
laughed as merrily as I did. And no wonder, for just as Mr Preddle was
bowing and smiling and talking hurriedly, the ship gave another sudden
lurch; he made a wild grasp at the captain, missed him; another at Mr
Denning's chair; and then sat down involuntarily on the deck, to look up
ruefully at me, his eyes seeming to say, "Oh, how can you laugh!"

"All right, sir, not hurt, I hope?" said the captain, and he and the
first mate helped our stout passenger to rise.

"No, not at all, thanks; sadly aw