" the skipper said, as his turn up and d

r owner go ashore le

ws on shore last night, I shall be glad when we ain't in the same port with the Phantom, for I am sure that if two or three men of each crew were to drop in to the same pub, there would be a fight in no time. And really I could not blame them. It is not in huma

were to give them a handsome beating there, it would show everyone that they w

I don't know that I shall do any more racing myself, except that I s

o Southampton. Perhaps she is going to meet somebody there. Anyh

at it occasionally, his mind took in nothing of its contents. Again and aga

s more probable than that he should have gone ashore that morning, fresh from his victory, to put the question to her, and h

e himself was refused, the reason Bertha gave him was, as far as she knew, the true one; but he had since thought that possibly she might then, although unsuspected by herself, have been to some extent under the spell of Carthew's influence. When she had declined two unexceptional offers, he

er, as any girl might be, but

l, or of taking a step more repugnant to him, which would probably end by an entire breach of his friendship with the Greendales, that of telling them this story. He was therefore delighted to find that the difficulty had been solved by Bertha herself without his interv

ded them into the boat; "and though the men have made everything as t

"We know how she looks when she is at her best. We shall enjoy a

le, though you are pretty well

sed her some vague anxiety. That morning the girl had come in from the garden and told her that she had just refused Mr.

on whom she had quite set her mind. The second offer had also been a good one. Still, she had reconciled herself to the thought of Bertha's marrying Carthew. His connection with the turf had certainly brought him into contact with a great man

d spoken to her as if the affair was already a settled matter, and when it became known that Bertha had refused him, she would be set down as a flirt, and it wo

lf, but something has happened that has opened my eyes, and I have every reason to be thankful that it has. I

red, Bertha? I don't u

cannot tell you what it is. I told

accept a man, and who finds out something that seems to her so bad that she rejects him, would

I have had a very narrow escape. I was certainly very much worried when I first learned about this, two days ago, and I

red for him," Lady Green

, mamma," Bertha said, calmly. "I certainly thought that I

e could say n

r," she said, plaintively. "Of course you are

back to town at all, and next spring everyone will have forgotten all about it. You know what people will say: 'I thought that Greendale girl was going to marry Carthew. I suppose nothing has come of it. Did she refuse him I wonder,

mild despair, put on her things, an

ll Frank about this, though I shall tell no one else. I always knew that he di

resignedly. "I used to think that I understood yo

at I am not so wise as I thought I was, and somebody says that 'When you first disco

e landing, and there is the gig. I thi

the side of the yacht, and the anchor hove short,

reendale said. "I thought tha

mast and bowsprit and all her ropes in disorder, the sails hanging down in the water and the wrec

e Phantom, M

one up to Southampton," he replied, quietly, bu

air a short distance from that in wh

?" Frank asked, as he

't suppose, after what I told you last

u will understand that so long as you were to marry a man who would be likely to make you happy I was

Mallett. You had said you would be my friend, and yet you let this go on when you could have stopped it at once. You let me get talked about

why I should interfere, still less why you should not marry him. When I was stupid enough to tell you that story, years ago, I stated that I had no gr

there was the

y?" Frank asked

mere came and told me two d

ere! You don'

like a real friend, and came to t

I was engaged to Mr. Carthew. That would have been something, but would hardly have been fair to me. If I had once been engaged to hi

o so. At least so I understood it, and I did not feel that in my position I was called upon to interfe

tt-other things that George Lechmere has told me. Did you think that it would have been of no interest to me to know that you had forgiven t

stood in h

ng that would raise you immeasurably in the eyes of a woman––that would show her vastly m

the girl he loved. The poor fellow had been half maddened, and was scarce responsible for his actions. He had already suffered terribly, and the least I could do was to endeavour to restore his self respect by showing him that I had entirely forgiven him. Any k

sible that I could tell you. Besides, the story was of no interest save

ll, I am so sorry, so very sorry

we are groping in the dark. Look at me. Here was I, believing that Mr. Carthew, whom I met everywhere in society, was, except that he kept race horses and bet heavily,

whom also everyone liked and spoke well of, but of whose real character I did not know much, except on the s

he took me for richly deserved shooting. When he found it was a mistake, the poor fe

t silent fo

said at last. "There is no reason wh

d. "There has been only

what,

d be the good elder brother, and scold you and look after you, and war

id, quietly, "before that happ

ally care for h

or him at all," she said. "That is n

s she twisted the handkerchief she held i

ver going to give

ot misunde

low tone. "Do you mean that if I ask you the same

There were three men who wanted me. I did not care much which it was, but I would not have anyone say that I had married for position-I hated the idea of that-and so I would have taken the third. He was bright and pleasant, and all that sort of thing, and I thought that I could be happy with him, until George Lechmere opened my eyes. Then, of course, that was over; but his story showed

I love you more for speaking as you have. I can hardly belie

in to me, for I felt that I had lost you; and it was only when I learned, two days ago, how you could forgive, and that at the same time I could free myself from the chain I had

us tell

his, and they went acr

at book. I have a piece of news for yo

ince then much had happened. Bertha had shown that she would not marry for position only, and that she would be likely to take her own way entirely in the matter; and, although this was a downfall to the hopes that she had once entertained, Lady Greendale was hers

more confidently entrust her happ

his occasion she herself could hardly have said whether they were the result of pleasur

plan will be to go below no

" Bertha a

happy, but more shocked at her own boldnes

er not kiss me in sight of the whole crew, and certai

said, demurely, "perhaps

ur before they ca

r I am pleased. As far as I am concerned, nothing could be nicer. I shal

to each other. There is nothing I should like more than to have her settled near us, and there is no one I know more likely to make her

sed her mother, with tea

now that, having lost my own mother so long ago, I have always looked upon you as more of a mo

Lord Haverley's, you shall both come here for a time. The Solent will be very pleasant for the next fortnig

ha; "and there will be no occasion at all to speak of this at my cousin's. There might be all sorts of questions asked, and expressions of surprise, and so

letters if, while mentioning that Bertha is engaged to your neighbour, Major Mal

u think s

ly. "It will be quite time to ta

it for a short time, but, you see, I

sing topmast and bowsprit. There was a nice sailing breeze, and, clipped as

h the captain, and found that the spars were all ready to receive the iron work and sheaves from the old ones; and as these had been towed up to the yard to be in readine

fter putting the ladies ashore at Ryde,

dale. It was a bold step to take, but it was the best possible thi

ld have something of the sort to tell me. There was a look abou

ion for you to have said anything about it; but it did me a great deal of good. She made much more of it than there was any occa

ally. I had to tell the other story, and that came naturally with it; and, at any rate, she could not but see that t

l, don't say anything about it forward, a

the mate and two of the hands, who waited a quarter of an hour till a vehicle brought down the ladi

to the saloon, saw George Lechmere preparing the tea

t her hand; "but I thank you now, and shall thank

s so; for I know that the Major would never ha

r her for any of the races. Lady Greendale, although a fair sailor, grew nervous when the yacht heeled over far, and even Bertha did