ge, while Will made enquiries for the house of Mrs. Archer,
which was Miss Warden's married name. Without much trouble he made his way
to it; and when the servant answered his knock he said: "I wish to see
Mrs. Archer."

"What name, sir?" the girl said respectfully, struck with the appearance
of the tall young fellow in a naval uniform.

"I would rather not say the name," Will said. "Please just say that a
gentleman wishes to speak to her."

"Will you come this way?" the girl said, leading him to a sitting-room. A
minute later Mrs. Archer appeared. She bowed and asked: "What can I do for
you, sir?"

"Then you do not know me, madam?" said Will.

She looked at him carefully. "I certainly do not," she said, and after a
pause: "Why, it can't be!--yes, it is--Willie Gilmore!"

"It is, madam, but no doubt changed out of all recognition."

"I have from time to time got your letters," said Mrs. Archer, "and
learned from them with pleasure and surprise that you had become an
officer, but never pictured you as grown and changed in this way. I hope
you have got my letters in return?"

"I only got one, Mrs. Archer, and it reached me just before we sailed from
the Mediterranean two years ago. I was not surprised, however, for of
course the post is extremely uncertain. It is only very seldom that
letters reach a ship on a foreign station."

"Dear, dear, you have lost some fingers!" Mrs. Archer cried, suddenly
noticing Will's left hand. "How sad, to be sure!"

"That is quite an old story, Mrs. Archer. I lost them at the attempt to
capture St. Pierre, and am so accustomed to the loss now that I hardly
notice it. It is surprising how one can do without a thing. I have to be
thankful, indeed, that it was the left hand instead of the right, as, had
it been the other way, I should probably have had to leave the navy, which
would have meant ruin to me."

"It is all very well to make light of it," she said, "but you must feel it
a great drawback."

"Well, you see, Mrs. Archer, the loss of three fingers is of course
terrible for a sailor, who has to row, pull at ropes, scrub decks, and do
work of all sorts; but an officer does not have to do manual work of any
kind, and hardly feels such a loss, except, perhaps, at meals. I am going
to sea again almost directly, but the first time I have a long holiday I
shall have some false fingers fitted on, more for the sake of avoiding
being stared at than for anything else."

"Well, I am