But I warn you, that it will involve your having to go down to Poole to christen her." "Do they christen yachts, Major Mallett ?" "I really don't know anything about it," he replied; "but if it is right and proper for ships it must be for yachts; and I should regard the ceremony as being likely to bring good luck to her.

When the time comes, I will fix the day to suit your arrangements." "I will try to come down, Major Mallett, if mamma will agree; but it is a long way to Poole, and somehow one never seems to find an hour to do anything; so I really cannot promise." "Well, if you cannot manage it, Miss Greendale, I will have her launched without being named and bring her round to Southampton, and then you could go down and christen her there.

That would only be a short railway run of a couple of hours after breakfast, and, say, two hours for luncheon there, and to have a look at her, and you could be home by four o'clock in the afternoon." "That seems more practicable." Captain Mallett had been three weeks in town.

He had called upon Lady Greendale on the day after he had come up, and been received with the greatest cordiality by her and Bertha.

The latter, in the two years and a half that he had been away, had grown from a somewhat gawky girl, whose charm lay solely in her expressive eyes and pleasant smile, into a very pretty woman.