lieutenant, would in all probability be an engaged man already. As to
the possibility of his seeing Minnie and being indifferent to her (in
the event of his being a free man), he felt that such an idea was
preposterous! Suddenly a thought flashed across him and induced a
question--

"Is the lieutenant married, uncle?"

"Not as I know of, lad; why d'ye ask?"

"Because--because--married men are so much pleasanter than----"

Ruby stopped short, for he just then remembered that his uncle was a
bachelor.

"'Pon my word, youngster! go on, why d'ye stop in your purlite
remark?"

"Because," said Ruby, laughing, "I meant to say that _young_ married
men were so much more agreeable than _young_ bachelors."

"Humph!" ejaculated the captain, who did not see much force in the
observation, "and how d'ye know the leftenant's a _young_ man? I
didn't say he was young; mayhap he's old. But here he is, so you'll
judge for yourself."

At the moment a tall, deeply-bronzed man of about thirty years of age
walked up and greeted Captain Ogilvy familiarly as his "buck",
enquiring, at the same time, how his "old timbers" were, and where
the "bit of baggage" was.