and self-pity. He walked in
thought with his eyes fixed on the ground, and glancing up, too late to
avoid him, saw the harbour-master approaching.

Captain Trimblett, composing his features to something as near his
normal expression as the time at his disposal would allow, gave a brief
nod and would have passed on. He found his way, however, blocked by
sixteen stone of harbour-master, while a big, red, clean-shaven face
smiled at him reproachfully.

"How are you?" said Trimblett, jerkily.

The harbour-master, who was a man of few words, made no reply. He drew
back a little and, regarding the captain with smiling interest, rolled
his head slowly from side to side.

"Well! Well! Well!" he said at last.

Captain Trimblett drew himself up and regarded him with a glance the
austerity of which would have made most men quail. It affected the
harbourmaster otherwise.

[Illustration: C-ck! he said, waggishly 224]

"C--ck!" he said, waggishly, and drove a forefinger like a petrified
sausage into the other's ribs.

The assault was almost painful, and, before the captain could recover,
the harbour-master, having exhausted his stock of witticisms, both
verbal and physical, passed on highly pleased with himself.

It was only a sample of what the day held in store for the captain,
and before it was half over he was reduced to a condition of raging
impotence. The staff of Vyner and Son turned on their stools as one man
as he entered the room, and regarded him open-eyed for the short time
that he remained there. Mr. Vyner, senior, greeted him almost with
cordiality, and, for the second time in his experience, extended a big
white hand for him to shake.

"I have heard the news, captain," he said, in extenuation.

Captain Trimblett bowed, and in response to an expression of good wishes
for his future welfare managed to thank him. He made his escape as soon
as possible, and, meeting Robert Vyner on the stairs, got a fleeting
glance and a nod which just admitted the fact of his existence.

The most popular man in Salthaven for the time being, he spent the best
part of the day on board his ship, heedless of the fact that numerous
acquaintances were scouring the town in quest of him. One or two hardy
spirits even ventured on board, and, leaving with some haste, bemoaned,
as they went, the change wrought by matrimony in a hitherto amiable and
civil-spoken mariner.

The one drop of sweetness in his cup was the news that Mrs. Chi