“‘Twasn’ very nice treatment, was it?—­after the length she’d gone to put herself out.”

“But ‘twas absence o’ mind, you understand.”

“I seem to remember,” mused Captain Tobias, “there was a Lord Somebody-or-other suffered from the same complaint.  I read about it in the papers, an’ only wish I’d cut it out.  Any little valu’bles lyin’ about he’d slip into his pocket.  But I never heard of your bein’ afflicted in that way.”

“Of course I’m not!” Captain Cai protested warmly.

“Then I don’t see what excuse you’ll put up. . . .  But wait till we get all this cargo stowed.  Ahoy, there!” Captain Tobias called up the porters, and after consultation it was decided to convert the goods-shed into a cloak-room for housing the bulk of his luggage, but to send on his sea-chest and the birdcage by wheelbarrow to his lodgings.

“What’s the address?” he asked, turning to Captain Cai.

“Ship Inn.”

“What?” Captain Tobias paused in the act of picking up the nine-gallon jar.  “Drinks on the premises?”

“Lashin’s.”

“What a world o’ fuss that arrangement do save!  Here!—­” to the porter who stood checking the articles deposited—­“this goes into hold wi’ the rest.  Contents, rum, an’ don’t you forget it, my son; leastways, pr’aps I’d better say, don’t you remember it.”

“I’m a total abstainer, sir,” said the porter proudly.

“You don’t tell me? . . .  One meets with such cases, about. . . .  Well,”—­Captain Tobias turned to Captain Cai again, as one averting his face from a sorrow to which no help can be proffered—­“what’s the distance?”

“To the Ship?  About half a mile—­a nice easy walk, an’ the barrow can follow us.”

They were no sooner outside the station premises, however, than Captain Tobias called halt to the driver of the wheelbarrow, paid him, and instructed him to proceed ahead.

“And you may tell the landlord,” he added, “to expect us when he sees us.”

He watched the man out of sight before explaining this manoeuvre.  “’Twas clever of you to mistake me, in front of those fellows; but I meant, what distance to this here widow’s?”

“Eh?  You don’t mean to say—­after your journey, too—­”

“We’ll get it over,” said Captain Tobias firmly.

Captain Cai could not but approve.  Here was prompt occasion not only to repair and apologise for his small blunder, but to make Mrs Bosenna acquainted with his paragon.  She would soon correct that unfortunate image of him as a coarse prize-fighting fellow.

To tell the truth, while reproaching himself for having evoked that image by his clumsy praise, he had doubted it might be difficult to efface:  knowing his friend’s shyness of womankind.  He had doubted that ’Bias, who (to use his own words) “shunned the fair sex in all its branches,” might decline even to make the lady’s acquaintance.  Lo! here was that admirable man setting his face and—­sternly, for friendship’s sake—­marching upon an introduction.  What a friend!