HARK FORRARD! 13 



' When who's knocking about ? ' 



' Why, the ship, of course ; what else would 

 it be ? ' 



' Now, my dear Alfred, please remember 

 that I don't know one end of a ship from the 

 other, and that the only nautical phrase I know 

 is '^ Shiver my timbers ! " so it is no use your 

 using maritime phraseology to me. I quite 

 thought you meant my vis-a-vis would be 

 knocking about. By the way, that reminds 

 me of the peerless goddess of whom you have 

 been talking so much ; I wonder where she is, 

 and whether she will be at our table.' 



' You may take your oath of that,' said 

 Acton. ' Captain Hay always takes care to 

 get all the beauty and talent at his table, and 

 though the purser nominally settles where 

 people are to sit, the captain pulls the strings. 

 Com.e and look at the engines.' 



' By Gad ! ' said- Reggie, ' how beautifully 

 smoothly they work.' 



' Yes,' answered Acton, as watch in hand 

 he counted the revolutions ; ' they are doing 



