something in condemnation of his luck in general. As he walked slowly
down the deck up which he had rushed with such headlong speed a few
moments before, he noticed a lady trying to set together her steamer
chair, which had seemingly given way--a habit of steamer chairs.

She looked up appealing at Mr. Morris, but that gentleman was too
preoccupied with his own situation to be gallant. As he passed her, the
lady said--

"Would you be kind enough to see if you can put my steamer chair
together?"

Mr. Morris looked astonished at this very simple request. He had
resolved to make this particular voyage without becoming acquainted with
anybody, more especially a lady.

"Madam," he said, "I shall be pleased to call to your assistance the
deck steward if you wish."

"If I had wished that," replied the lady, with some asperity, "I would
have asked you to do so. As it is, I asked you to fix it yourself."

"I do not understand you," said Mr. Morris, with some haughtiness. "I
do not see that it matters who mends the steamer chair so long as the
steamer chair is mended. I am not a deck steward." Then, thinking he had
spoken rather harshly, he added, "I am not a deck steward, and don't
understand the construction of steamer chairs as well as they do, you
see."

The lady rose. There was a certain amount of indignation in her voice as