"'I don't want to be told. I know,' she said. 'The captain sent for
you. Talk to him.'

"My temper was going, and I told her that it was something to know the
captain himself had enough sense to send for me.

"'Look here,' she told me. 'I've had enough of this. I want to be
alone. Thank you for troubling to come over.'"

The doctor lifted his shoulders, and made a wry face, that might have
been disdain or pity.

"I was leaving her, but she called to me, and I went back. She held out
her hand. 'I do thank you for troubling about me. Of course I do. But
I want to stay on here--I must.'

"'Well, you know the penalty,' I said. 'I was bound to tell you that.'

"'What of it?' she said, and laughed at me. 'We musn't bother about
penalties. Good-bye!'

"I must say she made me feel that if the skipper of that ship had been of
different metal, she might almost have pulled him through. But what a
man. What a man! I saw his miserable little figure standing not far
from where my boat was when I was going. He made as if he were coming to
me, and then stopped. I was going to take no notice of him, but went up
and explained a thing or two. I'll bet he'll remember them. All he said
was: 'I was afraid you'd never change her mind,' and turned away. What a
man! There was a pair for you. I could understand him, but what could