got worse."

The situation was now one of considerable discomfort for every one
concerned, as was proved by a long interval of constraint and silence.
Mr. Pepper, indeed, created a diversion of a kind by leaping on to his
seat, both feet tucked under him, with the action of a spinster who
detects a mouse, as the draught struck at his ankles. Drawn up there,
sucking at his cigar, with his arms encircling his knees, he looked
like the image of Buddha, and from this elevation began a discourse,
addressed to nobody, for nobody had called for it, upon the unplumbed
depths of ocean. He professed himself surprised to learn that although
Mr. Vinrace possessed ten ships, regularly plying between London and
Buenos Aires, not one of them was bidden to investigate the great white
monsters of the lower waters.

"No, no," laughed Willoughby, "the monsters of the earth are too many
for me!"

Rachel was heard to sigh, "Poor little goats!"

"If it weren't for the goats there'd be no music, my dear; music depends
upon goats," said her father rather sharply, and Mr. Pepper went on to
describe the white, hairless, blind monsters lying curled on the ridges
of sand at the bottom of the sea, which would explode if you brought
them to the surface, their sides bursting asunder and scattering
entrails to the winds when released from pressure, with considerable
detail and with such show of knowledge, that Ridley was disgusted, and
begged him to stop.

From all this Helen drew her own conclusions, which were gloomy enough.