cond, and then to the third degree," replied Grace, with a vivacity
which was not at all impaired by the laughter of the initiates, who, as
others before them had, regarded the order as a pleasant joke.

"When you have proved yourselves worthy, you will be advanced to the
second degree by the Grand Protectress," added Paul. "The motto of the
concern is, '_Vous ne pouvez pas faire un sifflet de la queue d'un
cochon_;' and I think you have fully proved the truth of the saying.
The meaning of the sentence is one of the secrets of the order. Do you
promise not to reveal it?"

"I do, for one," laughed Lindsley. "I haven't the least idea myself
what it means."

"Nor I," added all the others."

"Then you will all be discreet. The motto contains a very valuable
moral lesson, which bears on your case, and I hope you will take it to
heart," said Paul.

"I should like to take it to head first," replied Lindsley.

"I hope you are satisfied now, Mr. Raymond," continued Grace.

"Not at all. I am willing to do my duty, rather than be starved on salt
junk, and choked to death for the want of water; but I am not
satisfied."

"Not satisfied!" exclaimed Grace. "Not after you have been initiated
into the noble and magnanimous Circle of the Order of the Faithful!"

"Not much!"

"You should say, '_Nicht viel_,' when you want to use that expression,"
laughed Grace, who did not like American slang, and had already
partially cured Paul, who had a slight tendency in that direction.

"Well, _nicht viel_, then. It was not fair, when we had been promised a
trip into Germany, to send us off to sea, just to please Shuffles."

"Captain Shuffles is a good young man. If you say anything against him,
you shall be expelled from the Order of the Faithful!"

"Well, I won't say anything against him, then, Miss Arbuckle; but they
say the ship is bound for Belfast."

"Do you see that land, Mr. Raymond?" she added, pointing to the light
on the headland.

"I do."

"What land is it?"

"I don't know."

"It is the Bill of Portland. Now, which way is the ship headed?"

"About south-west," replied Raymond, after looking through the skylight
at the tell-tale in the steerage.

"South-west by west, half west," she added.

"Bully for you!"

"Instead of that, you should say, "_Bulle fuer ihnen_." In other words,
you should utter all your slang in German: it sounds better."

"I only meant to say that you reeled off the course like a regular ol