pleasant one.
One of the passengers who was killed was a young man with none on board
to mourn him, but the other had left a widow and two children, whose
presence in their midst was a constant reminder of their narrow escape
from destruction.

The voyage had produced a very marked change in Mr. Renshaw. It had
brought him in far closer connection with his children than he had ever
been before, with results advantageous to each. Hitherto they had
scarcely ever seen him except at meals, and even at these times his
thoughts were so wholly taken up with the writings on which he was
engaged that he had taken but little part in the general conversation
beyond giving a willing assent to any request they made, and evincing no
interest whatever in their plans and amusements.

Now, although for four or five hours a day he worked diligently at his
study of the Maori language, he was at other times ready to join in what
was going on. He often walked the deck by the hour with Wilfrid and
Marion, and in that time learned far more of their past life, of their
acquaintances and amusements at their old home, than he had ever known
before. He was genial and chatty with all the other passengers, and the
astonishment of his children was unbounded when he began to take a
lively part in the various amusements by which the passengers whiled
away the long hours, and played at deck quoits and bull. The latter game
consists of a board divided into twelve squares, numbered one to ten,
with two having bulls' heads upon them; leaden discs covered with canvas
are thrown on to this board, counting according to the number on which
they fall, ten being lost for each quoit lodged on a square marked by a
bull's head.

On the evening of the day before the shores of New Zealand came in
sight Mr. Renshaw was sitting by his wife. "The voyage is just finished,
Helen," he said. "It has been a pleasant time. I am sorry it is over."

"A very pleasant time, Alfred," she replied, "one of the most pleasant I
have ever spent."

"I see now," he went on, "that I have made a mistake of my life, and
instead of making an amusement of my hobby for archaeology have thrown
away everything for it. I have been worse than selfish. I have utterly
neglected you and the children. Why, I seem only to have made an
acquaintance with them since we came on board a ship. I see now, dear,
that I have broken my marriage vows to you. I have always loved you and
always honoured you