Part 24 (1/2)

”When I said 'She is yours,' I meant that she is coming here.”

”O-oh!” said Mrs. Chalk, breathlessly. ”Oh, indeed! Oh, is she?”

”That is, if her mother'll let her come,” pursued the enterprising Brisket, with a look of great artfulness at Mr. Chalk, to call his attention to the bridge he was building for him; ”but the old woman's been laid up lately and talks about not being able to spare her.”

Mrs. Chalk sat back helplessly in her chair and gazed from her husband to Captain Brisket, and from Captain Brisket back to her husband.

Captain Brisket, red-faced and confident, sat upright on the edge of his chair as though inviting inspection; Mr. Chalk plucked nervously at his fingers. Captain Bowers suddenly broke silence.

”What's her tonnage?” he inquired abruptly, turning to Brisket.

”Two hundred and for--”

Captain Brisket stopped dead and, rubbing his nose hard with his forefinger, gazed thoughtfully at Captain Bowers.

”The Fair Emily is a s.h.i.+p,” said the latter to Mrs. Chalk.

”A s.h.i.+p!” cried the bewildered woman. ”A s.h.i.+p living with her invalid mother and coming to my husband to get her a place! Are you trying to screen him, too?”

”It's a s.h.i.+p,” repeated Captain Bowers, sternly, as he sought in vain to meet the eye of Mr. Chalk; ”a craft of two hundred and something tons.

For some reason-best known to himself-Mr. Chalk wants the matter kept secret.”

”It-it isn't my secret,” faltered Mr. Chalk.

”Where's she lying?” said Captain Bowers.

Mr. Chalk hesitated. ”Biddlecombe,” he said, at last.

Captain Brisket laughed noisily and, smacking his leg with his open hand, smiled broadly upon the company. No response being forthcoming, he laughed again for his own edification, and sat good-humouredly waiting events.

”Is this true, Thomas?” demanded Mrs. Chalk.

”Yes, my dear,” was the reply.

”Then why didn't you tell me, instead of sitting there listening to a string of falsehoods?”

”I-I wanted to give you a surprise-a pleasant little surprise,” said Mr.

Chalk, with a timid glance at Captain Bowers. ”I have bought a share in a schooner, to go for a little cruise. Just a jaunt for pleasure.”

”Tredgold, Stobell, and Chalk,” said Captain Bowers, very distinctly.

”I wanted to keep it secret until it had been repainted and done up,”

continued Mr. Chalk, watching his wife's face anxiously, ”and then Captain Brisket came in and spoilt it.”

”That's me, ma'am,” said the gentleman mentioned, shaking his head despairingly. ”That's Bill Brisket all over. I come blundering in, and the first thing I do is to blurt out secrets; then, when I try to smooth it over--”

Mrs. Chalk paid no heed. Alluding to the schooner as ”our yacht,” she at once began to discuss the subject of the voyage, the dresses she would require, and the rival merits of shutting the house up or putting the servants on board wages. Under her skilful hands, aided by a few suggestions of Captain Brisket's, the Fair Emily was in the short s.p.a.ce of twenty minutes transformed into one of the most luxurious yachts that ever sailed the seas. Mr. Chalk's heart failed him as he listened. His thoughts were with his partners in the enterprise, and he trembled as he thought of their comments.