"That and your accent," the captain said, smiling, "are two of your
most prominent British traits, Mr. Crawshay." The latter took out his
eyeglass and polished it.

"I have others," he retorted, "but never mind. I understood you to
say, I think, that you have heard nothing by wireless about me?"

"Not a word."

The captain glanced at his clock and showed some signs of impatience.
His visitor, however, remained blandly imperturbable.

"I see that you have only one operator in the wireless room," he
remarked.

"How do you know that?"

"I happened to be walking by last night, and I glanced in."

"We are short-handed," the captain explained.

"Quite naturally," Crawshay replied. "Now with reference to this young
man, I watched him coming down the steps from his office this morning.
You may be surprised to hear, Captain, that I found him
unprepossessing--in fact I might almost say that I took a dislike
to him."

"I am sure he would be very much disturbed if he knew your opinion,"
was the faintly sarcastic reply. "He happens to be a young man with