with his pen. The senior partner had been amusing himself
at his expense for some time, and in the hope of a favour at his hands he
had endured it with unusual patience.

"Four o'clock," murmured the senior partner; "hadn't you better see about
making yourself presentable, Hardy?"

[Illustration: "Hadn't you better see about making yourself presentable,
Hardy?"]

"Thanks," said the other, with alacrity, as he took off his coat and
crossed over to the little washstand. In five minutes he had finished
his toilet and, giving his partner a little friendly pat on the shoulder,
locked up his desk.

"Well?" he said, at last.

"Well?" repeated Mr. Swann, with a little surprise.

"What am I to tell them?" inquired Hardy, struggling to keep his temper.

"Tell them?" repeated the innocent Swann. "Lor' bless my soul, how you
do jump at conclusions, Hardy. I only asked you to tidy yourself for my
sake. I have an artistic eye. I thought you had done it to please me."

"When you're tired of this nonsense," said the indignant Hardy, "I shall
be glad."

Mr. Swann looked him over carefully and, coming to the conclusion that
his patience was exhausted, told him the result of his inquiries. His
immediate reward was the utter incredulity of Mr. Hardy, together with
some pungent criticisms of his veracity. When the young man did realize
at last that he was speaking the truth he fell to wondering blankly what
was happening aboard the _Conqueror_.

"Never mind about that," said the older man. "For a few weeks you have
got a clear field. It is quite a bond between you: both your fathers on
the same ship. But whatever you do, don't remind her of the fate of the
Kilkenny cats. Draw a fancy picture of the two fathers sitting with
their arms about each other's waists and wondering whether their
children----"

Hardy left hurriedly, in fear that his indignation at such frivolity
should overcome his gratitude, and he regretted as he walked briskly
along that the diffidence peculiar to young men in his circumstances had
prevented him from acquainting his father with the state of his feelings
towards Kate Nugent.

The idea of taking advantage of the captain's enforced absence had
occurred to other people besides Mr. James Hardy. Dr. Murchison, who had
found the captain, despite his bias in his favour, a particularly
tiresome third, was taking the fullest advantage of it; and Mrs. Kybird
had also judged it an admirable opportu