champagne for those who like it."

This was a very successful announcement, and Robert presided at table
with extreme satisfaction on account of his own Machiavellian
astuteness. Oh! those millionaires. What chances they have!

The scene at the launch of the _Robert Cassall_ was imposing. The Queen,
it was thought, would be present; but an intensely exciting and close
general election had just taken place, and Her Majesty was occupied with
relays of the gentlemen who are good enough to carry on the operation
known as Governing the Country; so that the bunting and the manifold
decorations served to grace the progress of a Royal Duke, who brought
his August Mother's message.

I have nothing to do with the speeches this time; I only know that the
steamer looked superb, with her gay stripe, and her beautiful trim on
the water. The town was in a state of excitement until nightfall, and
the people who had tickets to view the Fisherman's Palace passed in a
steady and orderly procession over the broad deck; through the smart
main ward with its polished oak floor; through the operating-room, and
through the comfortable, unostentatious club-room, which had been
designed by Lewis Ferrier. Robert Cassall was silently ecstatic now
that the pinch of his work was over; and he had good reason to be proud,
for no prettier or more serviceable piece of work was ever bought with
money, and no man on earth need have grudged to exchange the costly
obscurity of the monumental stone, for this beautiful memorial which
promised to be the pride of the North Sea.

The riggers went hard at work; the captain and crew were sent on board
to assist, and thus before the autumn storms broke once more, the
_Robert Cassall_ was ready for sea.

The whole fabric seemed to have risen like a vision, and the most
hopeful of those who endured that cruel gale the year before could
hardly believe that they were not deceived by some uneasy, uncanny
dream.

The steamer surged away past the pier on her first trip, and a dense
black crowd cheered and shouted blessings after her.

"Ah! they jeered me the first time I sailed from here under that flag.
Thank God for the wonderful change," said Fullerton. "Never mind
bygones. There's a good stiff sea outside. Let us watch how she takes
it."

The sturdy old man was triumphant, satisfied with himself and his work,
and he only wished to see how the contrivance of his audacious, teeming
brain would succeed. Tom Lenn