"What did he come here for?" said the captain.

Miss Nugent glanced down at her plate. "I can't imagine," she said,
demurely. "The first time he came to tell us what had become of you."

The captain stopped in his walk and eyed her sternly. "I am very
fortunate in my children," he said, slowly. "One is engaged to marry the
daughter of the shadiest rascal in Sunwich, and the other--"

"And the other?" said his daughter, proudly, as he paused.

"The other," said the captain, as he came round the table and put his
hand on her shoulder, "is my dear and obedient daughter."

"Yes," said Miss Nugent; "but that isn't what you were going to say. You
need not worry about me; I shall not do anything that would displease
you."




CHAPTER XVIII

With a view to avoiding the awkwardness of a chance meeting with any
member of the Nugent family Hardy took the sea road on his way to the
office the morning after the captain's return. Common sense told him
to leave matters for the present to the healing hand of Time, and to
cultivate habits of self-effacement by no means agreeable to one of his
temperament.