rpenters on board to-day,
if possible; and in any case the work shall be begun as early as
possible, so that the paint may be thoroughly dry and the smell passed
off before you come on board."

"I shall be greatly obliged to you if you will," said Sir Edgar. "And
now there is another little matter upon which I wish to speak to you.
My wife being quite an invalid, it will be necessary that she should
have many little delicacies that are not included in the ordinary bill
of shipboard fare. These I intend to order at once, and will give
instructions that they are to be delivered on board here as soon as
ready. May I rely upon you to have a careful account taken of them as
they come on board, and to see that they are so bestowed that they may
be easily got at when required? Among them will be a few cases of wines
for Lady Desmond's personal use; but, so far as the rest of us are
concerned, I presume you will be able to supply us with whatever we may
require?"

"Certainly," I replied. "I have not yet ordered my stock of wines, and
if you have a partiality for any particular kind or brand, and will let
me know, I shall be pleased to select my stock with especial reference
to your taste."

"Oh, thank you. I am sure you are very good," he laughed; "but we are
none of us connoisseurs, nor do I think any of us have a weakness for
any one particular kind of wine more than another. If you can undertake
to give us a good sound claret every day for dinner, with a bottle of
decent champagne now and then, we shall be perfectly content. And now,
what is the longest possible time you can allow us in which to get
together our outfit for the voyage?"

"We are advertised to sail to-morrow three weeks," I replied.

"Very well," he said. "That is rather brief notice for the ladies; but
I have no doubt they will be able to manage when once they are given to
understand that it _must_ be done. As for me, I shall have no
difficulty whatever. I shall be obliged, however, if you will give me a
hint or two as to the different climates we shall encounter on the
voyage, so that we may prepare accordingly."

I did so, Sir Edgar jotting down a few memoranda in his note-book
meanwhile; and then, with another hearty shake of the hand, my visitor
left me.

The succeeding three weeks passed uneventfully away, the cargo, during
the first fortnight, coming alongside very slowly; but there was quite a
rush at the last, and on the night befo