ent case, had come on board by the small vessel which took the pilot
away,--a circumstance not without suspicion, and, of course, certain
of obtaining its share of disparaging comments, not the less that the
gentleman's pretensions were considerable, and his manners imposing.
In fact, to use a vulgarism very expressive of the man, "he took on"
immensely. He was very indignant at not finding his servant expecting
him, and actually out of himself on discovering that a whole stateroom
had not been engaged for his accommodation. With all these disappointing
circumstances, it was curious enough how soon he reconciled himself to
his condition, submitting with great good-humor to all the privations of
ordinary mortals; and when, on the third or fourth day of the voyage,
he deigned to say that he had drunk worse Madeira, and that the clam
soup was really worthy of his approval, his popularity was at once
assured. It was really pleasant to witness such condescension, and
so, indeed, every one seemed to feel it. All but one, and that one was
Quackinboss, who, from the first moment, had conceived a strong dislike
against the new arrival, a sentiment he took no pains to conceal or
disguise.

"He's too p'lite,--he 's too civil by half, sir,--especially with the
women folk," said Quackinboss; "they ain't wholesome when they are so
tarnation sweet. As Senator Byles says, 'Bunkum won't make pie-crust,
though it 'll serve to butter a man up.' Them's my own sentiments too,
sir, and I don't like that stranger."

"What can it signify to you, Colonel?" said Layton. "Why need you
trouble your head about who or what he is?"

"I 'll be bound he's one of them as pays his debts with the topsail
sheet, sir. He's run. I 'm as sartain o' that fact as if I seen it.
Whenever I see a party as won't play whist under five-guinea points, or
drink anything cheaper than Moet at four dollars a bottle, I say look
arter that chap, Shaver, and you'll see it's another man's money pays
for him."

"But, after all," remonstrated Layton, "surely you have nothing to do
with him?"

"Well, sir, I 'm not downright convinced on that score. He's a-come from
Florence; he knows all about the Heathcotes and Mrs. Morris, and the
other folk there; and he has either swindled _them_, or they 've been
a-roguing some others. That's _my_ platform, sir, and I'll not change
one plank of it."

"Come, come," said Layton, laughingly, "for the first time in your life
you have su