"You must know, good people, that I've been hearing of nothing but this yacht for the last two years; and, would you believe it, I've never seen her yet!" "I assure you--," began the Captain; but, alas! his enemy, in addition to being a host in herself, had allies of whom he little dreamt; and so he was interrupted ere he could get at a second stammering "I assure you!" "Why, you promised, Captain," said Nell mischievously, "the very first time we saw you in the train, to take us out for a `sail in your yacht'; and I have been longing so much for it ever since.

We thought that was what you meant when you said you were going to take us somewhere or do something that `to-morrow come never' as you called it!" "You wicked man, to deceive the poor children so!" cried Mrs Gilmour, shaking her finger at him.

"Oh, you bad man!" But, before he could answer a word, Bob, who had been waiting anxiously for an opening, likewise assailed him.
"Ah! Don't you remember, Captain, that day when you took Dick down to the Dockyard to get him entered as a sailor boy on board the _Saint Vincent_, and they wouldn't take him because he was too thin, you said it didn't matter, for you would employ him on board your yacht when the racing season began?
Why, Dick and I have been looking out for a sail ever since.

Don't you remember ?" "Now, aren't you ashamed of yourself, sure ?" said Mrs Gilmour, following up Bob's flank attack; his father and mother enjoying the discussion immensely, coupled as it was with the old sailor's comical embarrassment.

"Tell me, now, aren't you ashamed of yourself ?" Taking off his hat and shoving his hands through his hair until he raised it up on the top of his head in a high ridge, he looked at his tormentors appealingly; although, the merry twinkle in his bird-like eyes took off somewhat from his contrition.
"Do forgive me!" implored he in accents that had a very suspicious chuckle about them.