have heard about you. Baron von Kerber says you will bite my head off
if I come on the bridge. Is that true?"

"Shows how little Mr. von Kerber reely knows about me, ma'am," said
Stump gallantly, beaming on her over the rail of the small upper deck.

By this time, Mrs. Haxton had satisfied herself that the _Aphrodite's_
crew might be trusted to bring her boxes on board without smashing
them, and she gathered her skirts carefully to keep them clear of the
quay. She raised a lorgnon, mounted on a tortoise-shell and silver
handle, and examined the yacht with measured glance. She honored the
stalwart second officer with a prolonged stare.

"Is that the captain?" she said to Mr. Fenshawe, who was waiting to
escort her on board.

"No. That is Mr. King, the young man Irene told you about."

"Oh, indeed! Rather an Apollo Belvidere, don't you think?"

"He seems to be a nice young fellow, quite well-mannered, and that sort
of thing. And it imposes somewhat of a strain on the imagination to
picture him in the scant attire popular at Delphi."

Mr. Fenshawe was not without a dry humor, but Mrs. Haxton was pleased
to be amused.

"What a light-hearted creature you are!" she cried, "I envy you your
high spirits. Personally, I feel utterly downcast at the prospect of a
sea voyage. It always blows a mistral, or some other horrid thing, when