odd tricks Fate plays? You for instance--you, the captain of a private
yacht when you ought to be roving the high seas in a Flying Dutchman! You
probably were a few generations ago."

"Ah!" Larpent said, through a cloud of smoke. "Life isn't what it was."

"It's an infernal fraud, most of it," said Saltash. "Always promising and
seldom fulfilling!"

"No good expecting too much," said Larpent.

"True!" said Saltash. "On the other hand it isn't always wise to be too
easily satisfied." His look became suddenly speculative. "Have you ever
been in love, Larpent?"

The big man in the deck-chair made a sharp movement and spilt some
cigar-ash on his coat. He sat up deliberately and brushed it off. Saltash
watched him with mischievous eyes.

"Well?" he said.

Larpent leaned back again, puffing forth a thick cloud of smoke. "Once,"
he said briefly.

"Only once?" gibed Saltash. "Man alive! Why, I've had the disease scores
of times, and you are half a generation older than I am!"

"I know," Larpent's eyes dwelt unblinking upon the sparkling blue of the
water beyond the rail. "You've had it so often that you take it lightly."