cience is inherited or acquired? You sea how important that is. If
Conscience is a kind of automatic oracle, infallible and perfect, what
becomes of free will? And if, on the other hand, Conscience is only a
laboriously trained perception of moral and social utilities, where does
your deity come in?"

Gissing was aware that this dilemma would not hold water very long, and
was painfully impromptu; but it hit the Captain amidships.

"By Jove," he said, "that's terrible, isn't it? It's no use trying to
carry on until I've got that under the hatch. Look here, would you
mind, just as a favour, keep things going while I wrestle with that
question?--I know it's asking a lot, but perhaps--"

"It's quite all right," Gissing replied. "Naturally you want to work
these things out."

The Captain started to leave the bridge, but by old seafaring habit he
cast a keen glance at the sky. He saw the bright string of code flags
fluttering. He seemed startled.

"Are you signalling any one?" he asked.

"No one in particular. I thought it looked better to have a few flags
about."

"I daresay you're right. But better take them down if you speak a ship.
They're rather confusing."

"Confusing? I thought they were just to brighten things up."

"You have two different signals up. They read, Bubonic plague, give me a
wide berth. Am coming to your assistance."

Toward dinner time, when Gissing had left the wheel and was humming a
tune as he walked the bridge, the steward came to him.

"The Captain's compliments, sir, and would you take his place in the
saloon to-night? He says he's very busy writing, sir, and would take it
as a favour."

Gissing was always obliging. There was just a hint of conscious
sternness in his manner as he entered the Pomerania's beautiful dining
saloon, for he wished the passengers to realize that their lives
depended upon his prudence and sea-lore. Twice during the meal he
instructed the steward to bring him the latest barometer reading; and
after the dessert he scribbled a note on the back of a menu-card and had
it sent to the Chief Engineer. It said:--

Dear Chief: Please keep up a good head of steam to-night. I am expecting
dirty weather.

MR. GISSING,

(Staff-Captain)

What the Chief said when he received the message is not included in the
story.

But the same social aplomb that had made Gissing successful as a
floorwalker now came to his rescue as mariner. The passengers at the
Captain's table