od heart under
his rough shell--"why didn't you tell me before?" and knocking the ashes
out of his barely-lighted pipe, he stopped that implement with a twist
of paper and followed his summoner down the hatchway.

In the meantime the woman who was the object of the grim old fellow's
suspicions was enjoying the comparative coolness of the night air.
Her mistress and her mistress's daughter had not yet come out of their
cabin, and the men had not yet finished their evening's tobacco. The
awning had been removed, the stars were shining in the moonless sky, the
poop guard had shifted itself to the quarter-deck, and Miss Sarah Purfoy
was walking up and down the deserted poop, in close tete-a-tete with no
less a person than Captain Blunt himself. She had passed and repassed
him twice silently, and at the third turn the big fellow, peering into
the twilight ahead somewhat uneasily, obeyed the glitter of her great
eyes, and joined her.

"You weren't put out, my wench," he asked, "at what I said to you
below?"

She affected surprise.

"What do you mean?"

"Why, at my--at what I--at my rudeness, there! For I was a bit rude, I
admit."

"I? Oh dear, no. You were not rude."

"Glad you think so!" returned Phineas Blunt, a little ashamed at what
looked like a confession of weakness on his part.

"You would have been--if I had let you."

"How do you know?"

"I saw it in your face. Do you think a woman can't see in a man's face
when he's going to insult her?"

"Insult you, hey! Upon my word!"

"Yes, insult me. You're old enough to be my father, Captain Blunt, but
you've no right to kiss me, unless I ask you."

"Haw, haw!" laughed Blunt. "I like that. Ask me! Egad, I wish you would,
you black-eyed minx!"

"So would other people, I have no doubt." "That soldier officer, for
instance. Hey, Miss Modesty? I've seen him looking at you as though he'd
like to try."

The girl flashed at him with a quick side glance.

"You mean Lieutenant Frere, I suppose. Are you jealous of him?"

"Jealous! Why, damme, the lad was only breeched the other day. Jealous!"

"I think you are--and you've no need to be. He is a stupid booby, though
he is Lieutenant Frere."

"So he is. You are right there, by the Lord."

Sarah Purfoy laughed a low, full-toned laugh, whose sound made Blunt's
pulse take a jump forward, and sent the blood tingling down to his
fingers ends.

"Captain Blunt," said she, "you're going to do a very silly thing."