osed, as they necessarily are, to the sea air at its purest, they
simply can't help themselves. They become exaggeratedly uxorious
without in the least meaning to."

"Besides," said Simpkins, "I've no reason to suppose that Miss King
would marry me."

"Have you any reason to suppose she won't?"

"No. I've only seen her once, you know."

"Then I think it extremely likely that she will. Everybody knows that
most people do things not so much because they want to as because they
haven't any reason for refusing. Take the average party, for
instance--tea party, tennis party, garden party, or dinner party. How
many men go to parties because they want to? Not one in a hundred.
The other ninety-nine go simply because there's no available reason for
not going. It's just the same with marrying. Unless you give Miss
King some good reason for refusing you, she'll marry you as soon as
ever you ask her. And if I were you I'd ask her to-morrow. We'll land
on an island for luncheon. The Major and I will slip off by ourselves
and give you your opportunity."

"I'm not sure--"

"Come now, Simpkins, have you anything against the girl? Has anybody
been circulating stories about her of any sort? I know this is a
gossipy sort of place, and--"

"Oh no; it's simply that I don't know her."

"If that's all," said Meldon, "a day in the _Spindrift_ will set it
right. You'll be surprised how intimate you become with a person when
you're sitting for hours crammed up against him or her in the cockpit
of a five-ton yacht. By the time you've disentangled her twice from
the mainsheet, with the Major swearing all the time, and been obliged
to haul her up to windward whenever the boat goes about and she gets
left with her head down on the lee side, you get to feel as if you'd
known her intimately for years. By the way, what time do you lunch?"

"Half-past one," said Simpkins. "Will you--"

"Thanks," said Meldon; "I will, if you're quite sure there's enough for
two. I'm due at Miss King's at four. The Major's there. Miss King
asked him to luncheon with her. But you needn't mind. He hasn't the
least notion of marrying her or anybody else. You can come with me in
the afternoon if you like. In fact, I think it would be a very good
plan if you did. I'll clear the Major out of the way at once, and then
you can have a good innings. If you play your cards properly to-day,
you'll certainly be in a position to propose to her to-m