Sansome groaned comically.

"What's the matter?" inquired Keith.

"Did you ever try it before? Tough, stringy, unfit for human consumption."

But Keith was fascinated by the name of the thing.

"There's plenty else," he urged defensively, "and I always try everything
once."

It was agreed that they should all meet again after an hour. Sansome
renewed his promises to be on hand.

The room Keith had engaged was on the second story, and quite a different
sort of affair from that of the Sherwoods'. Indeed it was little more than
a pine box, containing only the bare necessities. One window looked out on
an unkempt backyard, now mercifully hidden by darkness.

"This is pretty tough," said Keith, "but it is the very best I could do.
And the price is horrible. We'll have to hunt up a living place about the
first thing we do."

"Oh, it's all right," said Nan indifferently. The lassitude of seasickness
had left her, and the excitement of new surroundings was beginning. She
felt gently stirred by the give and take of the light conversation in the
Sherwoods' room; and, although she did not quite realize it, she was
responding to the stimulation of having made a good impression. Her
subconscious self was perfectly aware that in the silken negligee, under