d.

"You'll turn out at the whistle at half-past six," he said. "Shake
mattresses, roll up blankets, and prepare for berth inspection. Then,
at the next whistle, you'll fall in on deck stripped to the waist for
washing parade. Fourth files numbering even are orderlies in charge of
the plates and pannikins."

"And," said the sergeant, "any insubordination will be sharply dealt
with. Now, when I was with Roberts in Afghanistan----"

Wyllard, who was standing close by, turned to Agatha.

"I don't think we'll be wanted. You have probably earned your
breakfast."

They went back to the saloon deck, and the girl smiled when he looked
at her inquiringly.

"It was a little horrible, but I hadn't so many to deal with," she
said. "Do you, and those others expect to bring any order out of that
chaos?"

"No," said Wyllard, "with a little encouragement they'll do it
themselves--that is, the English, Danes, and Germans. One can trust
them to evolve a workable system. It's in their nature. You can trace
most things that tend to wholesome efficiency back to the old Teutonic
leaven. By and bye, they'll proceed to put some pressure on the
Latins, Slavs, and Jews."

"But is it your business to offer them that encouragement?"

Wyllard laughed. "Strictly speaking, it isn't in the least, but
unnecessary chaos is rather hateful, and, any way, I'm not the only one
who doesn't seem to like it. There's the petty officer, and our
friend, the sergeant, who was with Roberts in Afghanistan."

Agatha said nothing further. She was a little surprised to feel that
she was anxious to keep this man's good opinion, though that was not
exactly why she had nerved herself for the venture into the single
women's quarters. Leaving him out altogether, it seemed to her that
there was something rather fine in the way the petty officer who was
going out almost penniless to Canada, and the sergeant, had saddled
themselves with the task of looking after those helpless lads. It was
wholly unpaid labour, for which the men who preferred to remain within
the safe limits of the saloon deck would presumably get the credit.
After all, she decided there were, no doubt, men in every station who
helped to keep the world sweet and clean, and she fancied that her
companion was to be counted among them. He certainly differed in many
ways from Gregory, but then Gregory was unapproachable. She did not
remember that it was four years since she had seen t