It was extremely distasteful to a man who ran a quiet business on old-fashioned lines and disbelieved in advertisement.

He lost three lodgers the same day.
[Illustration: "A popular hero."] Jem Hardy was one of the few people in Sunwich for whom the joke had no charms, and he betrayed such an utter lack of sympathy with his father's recital that the latter accused him at last of wanting a sense of humour.
"I don't see anything amusing in it," said his son, stiffly.
Captain Hardy recapitulated one or two choice points, and was even at some pains to explain them.
"I can't see any fun in it," repeated his son.

"Your behaviour seems to me to have been deplorable." "What ?" shouted the captain, hardly able to believe his ears.
"Captain Nugent was your guest," pursued the other; "he got on your ship by accident, and he should have been treated decently as a saloon passenger." "And been apologized to for coming on board, I suppose ?" suggested the captain.
"It wouldn't have been amiss," was the reply.
The captain leaned back in his chair and regarded him thoughtfully.
"I can't think what's the matter with you, Jem," he said.
"Ordinary decent ideas, that's all," said his son, scathingly.
"There's something more in it than that," said the other, positively.
"I don't like to see this love-your-enemy business with you, Jem; it ain't natural to you.

Has your health been all right while I've been away ?" "Of course it has," said his son, curtly.

"If you didn't want Captain Nugent aboard with you why didn't you put him ashore?
It wouldn't have delayed you long.