“Eavesdropping,” said Mr. Chalk, in a tense whisper.

“There’ll be a rival expedition,” said the captain, falling in with his mood.  “I’ve already warned that young woman off once.  You’d better start tonight.”

He leaned back in his chair and surveyed the company pleasantly.  Somewhat to Mr. Chalk’s disappointment Mr. Tredgold began to discuss agriculture, and they were still on that theme when they rose to depart some time later.  Tredgold and Chalk bade the captain a cordial good-night; but Stobell, a creature of primitive impulses, found it difficult to shake hands with him.  On the way home he expressed an ardent desire to tell the captain what men of sense thought of him.

The captain lit another pipe after they had gone, and for some time sat smoking and thinking over the events of the evening.  Then Mr. Tasker’s second infringement of discipline occurred to him, and, stretching out his hand, he rang the bell.

“Has that young woman gone?” he inquired, cautiously, as Mr. Tasker appeared.

“Yessir,” was the reply.

“What about your articles?” demanded the captain, with sudden loudness.  “What do you mean by it?”

Mr. Tasker eyed him forlornly.  “It ain’t my fault,” he said, at last.  “I don’t want her.”

“Eh?” said the other, sternly.  “Don’t talk nonsense.  What do you have her here for, then?”

“Because I can’t help myself,” said Mr. Tasker, desperately; “that’s why.  She’s took a fancy to me, and, that being so, it would take more than you and me to keep ’er away.”

“Rubbish,” said his master.

Mr. Tasker smiled wanly.  “That’s my reward for being steady,” he said, with some bitterness; “that’s what comes of having a good name in the place.  I get Selina Vickers after me.”

“You—­you must have asked her to come here in the first place,” said the astonished captain.

“Ask her?” repeated Mr. Tasker, with respectful scorn.  “Ask her?  She don’t want no asking.”

“What does she come for, then?” inquired the other.

“Me,” said Mr. Tasker, brokenly.  “I never dreamt o’ such a thing.  I was going ’er way one night—­about three weeks ago, it was—­and I walked with her as far as her road-Mint Street.  Somehow it got put about that we were walking out.  A week afterwards she saw me in Harris’s, the grocer’s, and waited outside for me till I come out and walked ’ome with me.  After she came in the other night I found we was keeping company.  To-night-tonight she got a ring out o’ me, and now we’re engaged.”

“What on earth did you give her the ring for if you don’t want her?” inquired the captain, eyeing him with genuine concern.

“Ah, it seems easy, sir,” said the unfortunate; “but you don’t know Selina.  She bought the ring and said I was to pay it off a shilling a week.  She took the first shilling to-night.”

His master sat back and regarded him in amazement.