"Ah! that is good of you; but you need not be quite so respectful."

The matter was settled by mute but satisfactory arbitration, and
Brandon continued: "You must make yourself ready to go on deck. It
will be hard, but it must be done."

He helped her with the heavy jack-boots and handed her the
rain-stained slouch hat which she put on, and stood a complete man
ready for the deck--that is, as complete as could be evolved from her
utter femininity.

When Brandon looked her over, all hope went out of him. It seemed that
every change of dress only added to her bewitching beauty by showing
it in a new phase.

"It will never do; there is no disguising you. What is it that despite
everything shows so unmistakably feminine? What shall we do? I have
it; you shall remain here under the pretense of illness until we are
well at sea, and then I will tell the captain all. It is too bad; and
yet I would not have you one whit less a woman for all the world. A
man loves a woman who is so thoroughly womanly that nothing can hide
it."

Mary was pleased at his flattery, but disappointed at the failure in
herself. She had thought that surely these garments would make a man
of her in which the keenest eye could not detect a flaw.

They were discussing the matter when a knock came at the door with the
cry, "All hands on deck for inspection." Inspection! Jesu! Mary would
not safely endure it a minute. Brandon left her at once and went to
the captain.

"My lord is ill, and begs to be excused from deck inspection," he
said.

Bradhurst, a surly old half pirate of the saltiest pattern, answered:
"Ill? Then he had better go ashore as soon as possible. I will refund
his money. We cannot make a hospital out of the ship. If his lordship
is too ill to stand inspection, see that he goes ashore at once."

This last was addressed to one of the ship's officers, who answered
with the usual "Aye, aye, sir," and started for Mary's cabin.

That was worse than ever; and Brandon quickly said he would have his
lordship up at once. He then returned to Mary, and after buckling on
her sword and belt they went on deck and climbed up the poop ladder to
take their places with those entitled to stand aft.

Brandon has often told me since that it was as much as he could do to
keep back the tears when he saw Mary's wonderful effort to appear
manly. It was both comical and pathetic. She was a princess to whom
all the world bowed down, yet that did not hel