bought a yacht,

ke her. As the season was getting rather late, the man was glad to sell her a bargain, especially as he had already got a thousand pounds towards her; so I got her for twelve hundred less that Haverstock was to have paid. It suited me admirably, f

ith your company, on her first cruise after the seas

ajor Mallett. It would be deli

own, but one of them has two berths. Of course, I could put up three or four others in the saloon for a couple of days, but for a cruise of three weeks or a month it

ction of those to you and Lady Greendale, for, except yourselves

you will know plenty of ladies that you can ask. You see, you have met so many people here

arded rather as an Indian lion; but I shall bid g

her nam

r two days ago. It seems to me that it is almost as h

y pretty names that w

d if you knew how many yachts t

a water bird,"

the names that

sea birds and water birds, o

on she shall have. Only, please choose one that only two or three boats, and those not about the same size, have got. It leads to confusion if there are

sten yachts,

r ships it must be for yachts; and I should regard the ceremony as being likely to bri

; but it is a long way to Poole, and somehow one never seems

n, and then you could go down and christen her there. That would only be a short railway run of a couple of hours after breakf

s more pra

ressive eyes and pleasant smile, into a very pretty woman. She was slightly over middle height, and carried herself exceptionally well. Her face was a bright and sunny one, but her eyes were unchanged, and there was an earnestness in their expression which, with a certain resolute curve in the lips, gave charact

t called, and was discussing with Bertha whom they could invit

a note from a gentleman who was coming to dine with us today, saying that he could not come; but now I regard it as most fortunate, for of course we

st appearance there, for my name only came up for election four months ago, and I should have felt very uncomfortable if I ha

was soon out every evening. For the first week he enjoyed the novelty of the scene, but very speedily tired of it. At dinners the ladie

ike to go out to these crowded balls, just to see the dresses and the girls, but to go out night after night is to my mind worse than hunting the rebels

eaten with a chum, and then a quiet rubber; and perhaps once a fortnight or so I go out to a dinner party, which I like well enough as a c

as tired of the club as

, and become a county magistrate and all that sort of thing. Thank goodness, what money came to me came in the shape of consols, and not in that of land. A country lif

only a brevet Major, and had two more step

t; and it is absurd, a young fellow of

hat it is out of my line, and I have never been broken into it

f one to be had cheap, if you ar

Mallett came to hear

r down to dinner two days after he had last seen her. "What do you say to that? The

hosen will suit admirably; so henceforth she shall be the Osprey, pending your formally christening her by that name. I might, of course, be

It is strong and swift on the wing, and the sails of the yacht are wings, are they not? Then it is strong and

a very goo

have one for y

ould certainly have it. At any rate, I w

man who has one, at least a large one; that is Mr. Carthew. Of course you know him

. "Yes, I used to know him, but it'

like him," sh

u think that,

l by the tone

But I never fancied him much. I suppose we were not the same sort of men; and then, too, perhaps

eard that,

, but I fancy it was so. However, he

up to town. He keeps race horses, you know. His horse was second in the Derby this spring. That take

es, and is, I believe, r

lination that wa

ting on the turf. We had one case in my own regiment, in which a man was saved by the skin of his teeth. Happily he had strength of mind and manliness enoug

horses or on cards. I have seen enough of it to hate gambling with all my heart. It has driven mo

thorough-going denunciation of anything here in London. In the country, of course, it is different. All sorts of things are heartily abused there; especia

r set have no

kind. They think

ent; and, at any rate, everyone enters into it heartily. People evidently enjoy the dancing for dancing's sake, and they all look as if they were thoroughly enjoying t

said, sturdily. "At least, whe

three months at it. You have not

you, Major

piece, I am but a spectator, and look

know that you are only about ten years older than I am-not more tha

r's show. My training has not suited me for it, and I would rather stand and look on, listen to scraps of conversation, watch the faces of the dancers and of those standing round. It is a study, and I think it shows one of

n earnest. "You are not at all the person I thought you were. Whatever I

her side. I fancy one falls into the tone of one's surroundings. Here I have caught the tone of the bored man of society, there you will see that I

rrect the very unfavourable impression you have just been giving me. Now let us cha

e small section of womankind that I encou

sed to engross the female mind. The white women I saw there were worn and haggard. No matter what their age, they bore on their faces the impress of terrible hardship, terrible danger, and terrible grief and anxiety. Few but had lost someone d

It is impossible for us really to imagine quite what it was, or to picture up such scenes as you

ny rate, the women of India, who had the reputation of being as frivolous and pleasure-loving as the rest of their

nal for the ladies to rise, "you will long look bac

hing, when one talks of nothing but the opera, the theatres and exhibitions, as to deserve to be p

r on the deck of the Osprey early in August. "You guaranteed that it would be a pleasant one wh

not find it hard work, for she is an eminently sympathetic woman, ready to chat if you are disposed to talk, to interest herself in other ways if you are not. She has

ite a sensation this season, and between ourselves I had som

s in the country; and her father, Sir John, was always one of my kindest friends. She was a slip of a girl when I went out to India, and though I thought that she woul

rister, and a particularly pleasant fellow; and his wife, who is a sister of Miss Sinclair; so I think there are the elements of a pleasant party. All the ladies are broken

go and hunt about for some place to smoke in; and I never accept an invitation to any shooting

smoking carriage that I told you to come down by the earlier one. And, besides, I thought it well to get you here first. You are the o

he world to one's comfort. I am not ass enough to suppose that Lady Greendale would even dream for a moment of setting her cap at a Colonel on half pay, but if a woman is in the marrying line she always expects a certain amount of what you

othing is further from the thoughts of Lady Greendale

nd is apt to get the idea into her head that every man will make a good husband; and a confoundedly mi

ther, but I am sure that she has set her heart on Bertha's making a good match, and that the fear that she will succumb to some penniless younger son or other unsuitable partner is at present the dominant feeling in her mind. I don't think she would

it here and smoke your pipe until we come back; and, indeed, seven is as many as the gig will carry with any degree of

ghted, with his new purchase. She was an excellent sea boat, and, as he had learned from a s

nd to the craft. I bought her as a cruiser rather than a racer, and don't want to have her full of men, as are most of the racers. It is a heavy expense, and fewer hands accustomed to work well together do just as much work, and more smartly than a crowd. We found, when we s

eason, and then we will make

minutes before the train came in. The party were on th

will get it all together, and stand guard over it till two others arrive to get it

ke dismay while the boxes were

as to the amount of accommodation in a 120-ton yacht. She is not a Cunarder or a

g for a month's cruise with only handbags; especially after telling us that ve

y somewhere. Now, as you have got them a

a hand cart, and get these thin

nclair asked Bertha, as they

rather puzzled face a

moment's hesitation, pointing to one towar

allett

ould have known the yacht you christened a month ago; or, at any rate, would not have mistaken a schooner for a yawl, after th

Mallett, but they are very puzzling to women, who know nothing about them. Now, I venture to say, that if I were to show you six different

ntleman on board

t he should do so, as in the first place, he did not know any of you,

y Greendale asked. "Bertha said that you

is not a flag at all, but a burgee. Every club has its burgee; as you see, that is a white cross on a blue groun

ut I am too wedged in. You and Wilson had better go up

ad to climb up nasty steep steps against the side. This is a great deal more comfortable. I was thi

ore comfortable for any-sized boats. But they take up rather more room to stow away, and they are really not so handy in a s

no objection whatever to his perpetual enjoyment of his pipe. She liked him because he was altogether different from anyone that she had met before; his Indian stories amused her,

ies, where the convicts were at work. She put into Torquay, Dartmouth and Plymouth, spending a day in the two former ports and two at the last named. They looked into Fowey, and st

hey sailed up the Clyde as far as Greenock, and then returning, cruised for a fortnight among the islands on the west coast. They had enjoyed their stay at Kingstown

Lady Greendale had become so confidential that Frank laughingly asked him if he had chan

I have ever entertained any idea of such a thing? You said that I was to amuse her if I could. I have tried my best to keep the old lady as much to myself as possible, so as to enable all

a serious one, and that there was no fear whatever that Lady Greendale had ever had t

ly nice and pleasant young woman, without any nonsense about her; still there is no doubt that her fortune will come in very handy for Hawley. As to the girl herself, I think she has made a very good choice. She has pl

worst of being very old friends; the relations get so fixed that a woman does not recognise that they can ever be changed. However, I shall try my luck one of these days. I don't think that I shall meet with any serious opposition on her mother's part, if Bertha likes me, but I know that Lady Greendale has very much more am

names of all the crew, and often went forward to ask questions of the men tending the head sails, becoming a prime favourite with all hands. On arriving at Southampton th