raising her glass. Her eyes sought Miss Quiney's; but Miss Quiney's, lifted heavenward, had encountered the ceiling upon which Mr. Manley had recently depicted the hymeneals of Venus and Vulcan, not omitting Mars; and the treatment-a riot of the nude-had for the moment put the redoubtable little lady out of action.

Ruth leaned forward in her seat, lifting her glass high. It brimmed, but she spilled no drop. "To Sir Oliver!"

CHAPTER VI

CAPTAIN HARRY AND MR. HANMER

"GUESTS, has he?-Out of my road, you rascal!Guests? I'll warrant there's none so welcome

A good cheery voice-a voice the curtain could not muffle-rang it down the corridor as on the note of a

cornet.

The wine was at Ruth's lip, scarcely wetting it. She lowered the glass steadily and turned half-about in her chair at the moment when, as before a whirlwind, the curtain flew wide and Manasseh burst in on the run with a stranger at his heels.

"Oliver!" The stranger drew himself up in the doorway-a well-knit figure of a man, clear of eye, bronzed of hue, clad in blue sea-cloth faced with scarlet, and wearing a short sword at the hip. "Where's my Oliver?" he shouted. "You'll forgive my voice, gentlemen. I'm Harry Vyell, at your service, fresh from shipboard, and not hoarse with anthems like old whatd'ye-call-him." Running his gaze along the table, he sighted the Collector and broke into a view-halloo. "Oliver! Brother Noll!" Captain Harry made a

second run of it, caught his foot on the prostrate toper whom Langton had dragged out of Miss Quiney's way, and fell on his brother's neck. Recovering himself with a “damn," he clapped his left hand on Sir Oliver's shoulder, seized Sir Oliver's right in his grip and started pump-handling-"as though," murmured Langton," the room were sinking with ten feet of liquor in the hold." "Harry-is it Harry?" Sir Oliver stammered, and made a weak effort to rise.

"Lord! You're drunk!" Captain Harry crowed the cheerful discovery. "Well, and I'll join youbut in moderation, mind! Newly married man-if some one will be good enough to pass the decanter?

My dear fellow! . . . Cast anchor half an hour ago-got myself rowed ashore hot-foot to shake my Noll by the hand. Lord, brother, you can't think how good it feels to be married! Sally won't be coming ashore tonight; the hour's too late, she says; so I'm allowed an hour's liberty." Here the uxorious fellow paused on a laugh, indicating that he found irony in the word. "But Sally-capital name, Sally, for a sailor's wife; she's Sarah to all her family, Sal to me-Sally is cunning. Sally gives me leave ashore, but on condition I take Hanmer to look after me. He's my first lieutenant-first-rate officer, too-but no ladies' man. Gad!" chuckled Captain Harry, "I believe he'd run a mile from a petticoat. But where is he? Hi, Hanmer! step aft-along here and be introduced!"

A tall grave man, who had entered unnoticed, walked past the line of guests and up to his captain. He too wore a suit of blue with scarlet facings, and carried a short sword or hanger at his belt. He stood stiffly, awaiting command. The candle-light showed, beneath his right cheek bone, the cicatrix of a recent wound.

But Captain Harry, slewing round to him, was for the moment bereft of speech. His gaze had happened, for the first time, on little Miss Quiney.

"Eh?” he stammered, recovering himself. "Your pardon, ma'am. I wasn't aware that a lady-" Here his eyes, travelling to the end of the table, were arrested by the vision of Ruth Josselin. "Wh-e-ew!" he whistled, under his breath.

"Sir Oliver-" Batty Langton stood up.

"Hey?" The name gave Captain Harry yet another shock. He spun about again upon his brother. "Sir Oliver?' What's he saying?"

"You've not heard?" said the Collector, gripping his words slowly, one by one. "No, of course you've not. Harry, our uncle is dead.”

There was a pause. "Poor old boy!" he muttered. "Used to be kind to us, Noll, after his lights. If it hadn't been for his womenkind.”

"They're coming across to visit me, damn 'em!" "What? Aunt Carrie and Di'? ... Good Lord!" “They're on the seas at this moment-may be here within the week."

"Good Lord!" Captain Harry repeated, and his eyes wandered again to Ruth Josselin. "Awkward, hey? But I say, Noll-you really are Sir Oliver! Dear lad, I give you joy, and with all my heart. . . . Gad, here's a piece of news for Sally!"

Again he came to a doubtful halt, and again with his eyes on Ruth Josselin. He was not a quick-witted man, outside of his calling, nor a man apt to think evil; but he had been married a month, and this had been long enough to teach him that women and men judge by different standards.

"Sir Oliver," repeated Langton, "Miss Josselin craves your leave to retire."

"Yes, dear." Miss Quiney launched an approving nod towards her. "I was about to suggest it, with Sir Oliver's leave. The hour is late, and by the time the sedan-chair returns for me

"There is no reason, Tatty, why we should not return together," said Ruth quietly. "The night is fine; and, with Manasseh for escort, I can walk beside your chair."

"Pardon me, ladies," put in Mr. Silk. "Once in the upper town, you may be safe enough; but down here by the quay the sh-sailors-I know 'em-it's my buishness. 'Low me-join the eshcort.”

But here, perceived by few in the room, a somewhat remarkable thing happened. Mr. Hanmer, who had stood hitherto like a statue, put out a hand and laid it on Mr. Silk's shoulder; and there must have been