probably saved; but the wind failed them for the last week or so,
light breezes, and . . . the baby was going to be buried this
afternoon. He supposed I would attend--

"Do you think I ought to?" I asked, shrinkingly.

He thought so, decidedly. It would be greatly appreciated. All
the captains in the harbour were going to attend. Poor Mrs. H- was
quite prostrated. Pretty hard on H- altogether.

"And you, Captain--you are not married I suppose?"

"No, I am not married," I said. "Neither married nor even
engaged."

Mentally I thanked my stars; and while he smiled in a musing,
dreamy fashion, I expressed my acknowledgments for his visit and
for the interesting business information he had been good enough to
impart to me. But I said nothing of my wonder thereat.

"Of course, I would have made a point of calling on you in a day or
two," I concluded.

He raised his eyelids distinctly at me, and somehow managed to look
rather more sleepy than before.

"In accordance with my owners' instructions," I explained. "You
have had their letter, of course?"

By that time he had raised his eyebrows too but without any