" he continued, "the man does not claim to be
anything at all. So far as I understand it, my boy has not spoken to
him on the subject, for fear, I suppose, of raisin' hopes that ain't to
be realised."

"He is right in that," said Mrs Holbein, "and we must be just as
careful not to raise false hopes in dear little Kathy. As your son
says, it may be a mistake after all. We must not open our lips to her
about it."

"Right you are, madam," returned the captain. "Mum's the word; and
we've only got to say she's goin' to visit one of your old friends in
Anjer--which'll be quite true, you know, for the landlady o' the chief
hotel there is a great friend o' yours, and we'll take Kathy to her
straight. Besides, the trip will do her health a power o' good, though
I'm free to confess it don't need no good to be done to it, bein' A1 at
the present time. Now, just you agree to give the girl a holiday, an'
I'll pledge myself to bring her back safe and sound--with her father, if
he's _him_; without him if he isn't."

With such persuasive words Captain Roy at length overcame the Holbein
objections. With the girl herself he had less difficulty, his chief
anxiety being, as he himself said, "to give her reasons for wishin' her
to go without tellin' lies."

"Wouldn't you like a trip in my brig to Anjer, my dear girl?" He had
almost said daughter, but thought it best not to be too precipitate.

"Oh! I should like it _so_ much," said Kathleen, clasping her little
hands and raising her large eyes to the captain's face.

"_Dear_ child!" said the captain to himself. Then aloud, "Well, I'll
take you."

"But I--I fear that father and mother would not like me to go--perhaps."

"No fear o' them, my girl," returned the captain, putting his huge rough
hand on her pretty little head as if in an act of solemn appropriation,
for, unlike too many fathers, this exemplary man considered only the
sweetness, goodness, and personal worth of the girl, caring not a straw
for other matters, and being strongly of opinion that a man should marry
young if he possess the spirit of a man or the means to support a wife.
As he was particularly fond of Kathleen, and felt quite sure that his
son had deeper reasons than he chose to express for his course of
action, he entertained a strong hope, not to say conviction, that she
would also become fond of Nigel, and that all things would thus work
together for a smooth course to this case of true love.

It