ould have knocked, of course," he protested. "It was most careless
of me. I do hope you understand. I will come--ah--later."

"But I don't understand," repeated the puzzled Elizabeth. "It was
perfectly all right, your coming in. There is no reason why you should
knock. The cap'n and I were going over the bills, that's all."

Mr. Phillips looked--well, he looked queer.

"Oh!" he said. "Yes--yes, of course. But one doesn't always care to be
interrupted in--even in business matters--ah--sometimes."

Elizabeth laughed. "I'm sure I don't mind," she said. "Those business
matters weren't so frightfully important."

"I'm so glad. You ease my conscience, Elizabeth. Thank you.... But I am
afraid the captain minds more than you do. He looks as if he didn't like
interruptions. Now do you, Captain Kendrick?"

Sears was ruffled. The man always did rub him the wrong way, and now,
for the first time, he heard him address Miss Berry by her Christian
name. There was no real reason why he should not, almost every one in
Bayport did, but Sears did not like it nevertheless.

"You don't fancy interruptions, Captain," repeated the smiling Egbert.
"Now do you? Ha, ha! Confess."

For the moment Sears forgot to be diplomatic.

"That depends, I guess," he answered shortly.

"Depends? You see, I told you, Elizabeth. Depends upon what? We must
make him tell us the whole truth, mustn't we, Elizabeth? What does it
depend upon, Captain Kendrick; the--ah--situation--the nature of the
business--or the companion? Now which? Ha, ha!"

Sears answered without taking time to consider.

"Upon who interrupts, maybe," he snapped. Then he would have given
something to have recalled the words, for Elizabeth turned and looked at
him. She flushed.

Egbert's serenity, however, was quite undented.

"Oh, dear me!" he exclaimed, in mock alarm. "After that I shall _have_
to go. And I shall take great pains to close the door behind me. Ha, ha!
_Au revoir_, Elizabeth. Good-by, Captain."

He went out, keeping his promise concerning the closing of the door.
Elizabeth continued to look at her companion.

"Now why in the world," she asked, "did you speak to him like that?"

Sears frowned. "Oh, I don't know," he answered. "He--he riles me
sometimes."

"Yes.... Yes, I should judge so. I have noticed it before. You don't
like him for some reason or other. What is the reason?"

He hesitated. Aside from Judge Knowles' distrust and dislike--which he
could not