"Cert'nly not," said her son-in-law. "This was an island--one o' the
little islands in the South Pacific Ocean."

"What did you say the name o' the schooner was?" inquired Mrs. Gimpson.

"_Pearl,_" replied Mr. Boxer, with the air of a resentful witness under
cross-examination.

"And what was the name o' the captin?" said Mrs. Gimpson.

"Thomas--Henery--Walter--Smith," said Mr. Boxer, with somewhat unpleasant
emphasis.

"An' the mate's name?"

"John Brown," was the reply.

"Common names," commented Mrs. Gimpson, "very common. But I knew you'd
come back all right--I never 'ad no alarm. 'He's safe and happy, my
dear,' I says. 'He'll come back all in his own good time.'"

"What d'you mean by that?" demanded the sensitive Mr. Boxer. "I come
back as soon as I could."

"You know you were anxious, mother," interposed her daughter. "Why, you
insisted upon our going to see old Mr. Silver about it."

"Ah! but I wasn't uneasy or anxious afterwards," said Mrs. Gimpson,
compressing her lips.