and, moreover, so securely, that it seemed a component part of him. And,
too, his speech was that of a quick-witted, humorous mind, and Patty
began to think she must readjust her opinion.

"Is it an English national trait," she said, "to be so in thrall to
tradition?"

"I'm sorry to say it is," young Chester responded, somewhat gravely. "In
the matter of the porpoise it is of no great importance; but there are
other matters, do you see, where Englishmen are so hampered by tradition
that individual volition is often lost."

This was more serious talk than Patty was accustomed to, but somehow she
felt rather flattered to be addressed thus, and she tried to answer in
kind.

"But," she said, "if the tradition is the result of the wisdom of past
ages, may it not be of more value than individual volition?"

"By Jove!" exclaimed Mr. Chester, "you have a clever little head on your
young shoulders, to take that point so adroitly. But let us defer this
somewhat serious discussion until another time and see if it is a
porpoise or something else that it attracting the curious crowd to the
other side of the ship."

As they followed the hurrying people across the deck, Mr. Chester went
on: "After you have crossed the ocean a few more times you will discover
that there are only two things which make the people rush frantically
and in hordes to the rail. The one that isn't a porpoise is a passing
steamer."