her feet on the fender. Her
father eyed her restlessly.

"I came here to speak to Sam about a private matter," he said, abruptly.

"Private matter," said his daughter, looking round in surprise. "What
about?"

"A private matter," repeated Captain Nugent. "Suppose you come in some
other time."

Kate Nugent sighed and took her feet from the fender. "I'll go and wait
in the kitchen," she said, crossing to the door.

Both men protested. The captain because it ill-assorted with his dignity
for his daughter to sit in the kitchen, and Mr. Wilks because of the
visitor already there. The face of the steward, indeed, took on such
extraordinary expressions in his endeavour to convey private information
to the girl that she gazed at him in silent amazement. Then she turned
the handle of the door and, passing through, closed it with a bang which
was final.

Mr. Wilks stood spellbound, but nothing happened. There was no cry of
surprise; no hasty reappearance of an indignant Kate Nugent. His
features working nervously he resumed his seat and gazed dutifully at his
superior officer.

"I suppose you've heard that my son is going to get married?" said the
latter.

"I couldn't help hearing of it, sir," said the steward in self defence--
"nobody could."

"He's going to marry that yellow-headed Jezebel of Kybird's," said the
captain, staring at the fire.

Mr. Wilks murmured that he couldn't understand anybody liking yellow
hair, and, more than that, the general opinion of the ladies in Fullalove
Alley was that it was dyed.

"I'm going to ship him on the Seabird," continued the captain. "She'll
probably be away for a year or two, and, in the meantime, this girl will
probably marry somebody else. Especially if she doesn't know what has
become of him. He can't get into mischief aboard ship."

"No, sir," said the wondering Mr. Wilks. "Is Master Jack agreeable to
going, sir?"

"That's nothing to do with it," said the captain, sharply.

"No, sir," said Mr. Wilks, "o' course not. I was only a sort o'
wondering how he was going to be persuaded to go if 'e ain't."

"That's what I came here about," said the other. "I want you to go and
fix it up with Nathan Smith."

"Do you want 'im to be _crimped,_ sir?" stammered Mr. Wilks.

"I want him shipped aboard the _Seabird,_" returned the other, "and
Smith's the man to do it."

"It's a very hard thing to do in these days, sir," said Mr. Wilks,
shaking his head. "Wh