his mind to the step, but he needed his old steward's assistance in a
little plan he had conceived for his son's benefit, and for the first
time in his life he paid him the supreme honour of a call.

The honour was so unexpected that Mr. Wilks, coming into the parlour in
response to the tapping of the captain's stick on the floor, stood for a
short time eyeing him in dismay. Only two minutes before he had taken
Mr. James Hardy into the kitchen to point out the interior beauties of
an ancient clock, and the situation simply appalled him. The captain
greeted him almost politely and bade him sit down. Mr. Wilks smiled
faintly and caught his breath.

"Sit down," repeated the captain.

"I've left something in the kitchen, sir," said Mr. Wilks. "I'll be back
in half a minute."

The captain nodded. In the kitchen Mr. Wilks rapidly and incoherently
explained the situation to Mr. Hardy.

"I'll sit here," said the latter, drawing up a comfortable oak chair to
the stove.

"You see, he don't know that we know each other," explained the
apologetic steward, "but I don't like leaving you in the kitchen."

"I'm all right," said Hardy; "don't you trouble about me."

He waved him away, and Mr. Wilks, still pale, closed the door behind him
and, rejoining the captain, sat down on the extreme edge of a chair and
waited.

"I've come to see you on a little matter of business," said his visitor.

Mr. Wilks smiled; then, feeling that perhaps that was not quite the right
thing to do, looked serious again.

"I came to see you about my--my son," continued the captain.

"Yes, sir," said Mr. Wilks. "Master Jack, you mean?"

"I've only got one son," said the other, unpleasantly, "unless you happen
to know of any more."

Mr. Wilks almost fell off the edge of the chair in his haste to disclaim
any such knowledge. His ideas were in a ferment, and the guilty
knowledge of what he had left in the kitchen added to his confusion.
And just at that moment the door opened and Miss Nugent came briskly in.

Her surprise at seeing her father ensconced in a chair by the fire led to
a rapid volley of questions. The captain, in lieu of answering them,
asked another.

"What do you want here?"

"I have come to see Sam," said Miss Nugent. "Fancy seeing you here! How
are you, Sam?"

"Pretty well, miss, thank'ee," replied Mr. Wilks, "considering," he
added, truthfully, after a moment's reflection.

Miss Nugent dropped into a chair and put