“Oh! there are so many pretty names that would do for a yacht.”

“Yes; but you would be surprised if you knew how many yachts there are of every likely name.”

“It ought to be a water bird,” the girl said.

“Those are just the names that are most taken.”

“Yes; but there are lots of sea birds and water birds, only I cannot think of them.”

“Well, you look them out,” he laughed.  “Here is a Hunt’s Yachting List that I bought on my way here.  I will leave it with you, and any name that you fix on she shall have.  Only, please choose one that only two or three boats, and those not about the same size, have got.  It leads to confusion if there are two craft going about of the same name and of about the same size.  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.  She was slightly over middle height, and carried herself exceptionally well.  Her face was a bright and sunny one, but her eyes were unchanged, and there was an earnestness in their expression which, with a certain resolute curve in the lips, gave character to the laughing brightness of her face.  Society had received her warmly, and consequently she was pleased with society.  Both for her own sake and as an heiress she was made a deal of, and, though she had been but two months in town, she had already taken her place as one of the recognised belles of the season.

Lady Greendale had a dinner party on the day when Major Mallett called, and was discussing with Bertha whom they could invite to fill up at such short notice a vacancy which had occurred.