I am really awfully sorry, Harry. You have been a thundering good elder
brother. I hated to think that you had to shell out last time, and I
have quite made up my mind that you sha'n't do it again."

"Well, it cannot be helped; it is no fault of yours; still, of course,
it is a nuisance. Thank God that no harm has come to you, that is the
principal thing. Now, sit down and go on with your pipe, you young
monkey. I did not think you had taken to smoking."

"One has to," the lad said, "everyone else does it; and there is no
doubt that, when you have got the middle watch on cold nights with foul
winds, it is a comfort."

"Well, go on smoking," his brother said. "I will light up too. Now shut
your mouth altogether. I want to think."

They were silent for fully ten minutes, then Harry said;

"I told you about that business of mine with Miss Fortescue."

Bertie grinned all over his face, which, as he sat, was not visible to
his brother. Then with preternatural gravity he turned towards him.

"Yes, you told me about it; an uncomfortable business wasn't it?--surly
old father, lovely daughter, and so on."

"I will pull your ear for you, you young scamp," Harry said wrathfully,
"if you make fun of it; and I have a good mind not to say what I was
going to."

"Say it, Harry, don't mind my feelings," the lad said. "You can't say I
did not stand it well when I was here last week, and gave you no end of
sympathy. Go ahead, old fellow; I dare say I shall be taken bad some
day, and then I shall be able to make allowances for you."

"I'll have nothing more to say to you, you young imp."

"Don't say that, Harry," the lad said in a tone of alarm. "You know how
sympathizing I am, and I know what a comfort it is for you to unburden
yourself; but I do think that it won't be necessary to go into personal
descriptions, you know, or to tell me what you said to her or she said
to you, because you told me all that ten days ago, also what her
tyrannical old father said. But really seriously I am awfully sorry
about it all, and if there is an