will thank you."

"It's kind of you to cheer me up," said Brennan, a little less
gloomily, "especially after the way I abandoned you to drown, but
the missus won't allow me in the house at all when she hears I
left you in pickle. Thank God the girl didn't die, anyway! I've
got that to be thankful for. Curtis Gordon would have broken me--
"

"Gordon?"

"Sure! Man dear, don't you know who you went bathing with? She's
the daughter of that widow Gerard, and the most prominent
passenger aboard, outside of your blessed self. Ain't that luck!
If I was a Jap I'd split myself open with a bread-knife."

"But, fortunately, you're a sensible 'harp' of old Ireland. I'll
see that the papers get the right story, 'o buck up."

"Do you think for a minute that Mrs. Brennan will understand why
I didn't hop out of the lifeboat and give you my place? Not at
all. I'm ruined nautically and domestically. In the course of the
next ten years I may live it down, but meanwhile I'll sleep in
the woodshed and speak when I'm spoken to."

Murray knew that Miss Gerard had been badly shaken by her ordeal,
hence he made no attempt to see her even after the steamer had
reached the fishing-village and the rescued passengers had been
taken in by the residents. Instead, he went directly to the one
store in the place and bought its entire stock, which he turned