"Why?" I asked again.

"I cannot tell," she answered. "It must be on the old principle--

"'I do not like thee, Doctor Fell,
The reason why--I cannot tell!
But only this I know full well,
I do not like thee, Doctor Fell!'"


"Those lines hardly apply to the sea," I said. "I thought love for the
sea was inborn with every man and woman in England."

"It is not with me," she said.

She spoke quite gently. There was not the least hurry or confusion, but
I was quite sure the color had faded from her face. Was it possible that
I had found a hole the strong armor at last?

Lance turned a laughing face to me.

"My wife is as strong in her dislikes as in her likes," he said. "She
never will go to the sea. Last year I spent a whole month in trying to
persuade her; this year I have begun in good time, and I intend to give
it three months' good trial, but I am afraid it will be quite in vain."

"Why do you dislike the sea?" I repeated. "You must have a reason."

"I think," she replied, "it makes me melancholy and low spirited."