The Grey Lady

ppeth in his speech,

r Nations at Barcelona was opened softly, almost nervousl

stepped forward a

d the new-comer, in a thi

fore. It almost appeared as if a doubt existed in his mind whether or not he w

vite this confidence he took the c

espoke a seafaring life, gazed politely at it. He was obviously desirous of avoiding

his neighbours, the old sailor helped himself to a little wine from

shman looked dubiously at these delicacies and shook his head--still obviously desirous of giving no offence. Soup was more comprehensible, and the sailor consumed

ly--as if open to conviction--in a voice th

in fluent Castilian t

lugs," repeated the sailo

of English, smiled openly, and an English gentleman seat

fish," he explained. "You

ld have been extremely comic had it been shorn of its pathos. "I am afraid," he went o

, "is not the slug season. Besides, if you did get

ough I don't hold

was a peer of the realm, travelling in Spain for the transaction of his own private affairs, or possibly for the edif

many seamen are, Captain Bontnor

language spoken, having sailed in the Spanish Main, and down to Manilla one voyage likewi

er of one who had always had a silent to

He was shaven, and had he not been distinctly a gentleman, he might have been a groom. He apparently had a habit of thrusting forward his chin for the purpose of scratching it pensivel

yse it, I dare say there is as much sense in it a

e of satisfaction at his own conversational powe

verbs I've come across yet. Still, I get along all right. Worst of it is, you know, that when I've

ur beam-ends," sugge

es

ortably in his spotless collar, and proceede

re long?" h

his story. "You see, sir," he said, "I'm getting on in years, and I'm not quite the build for f

-not apparently of great value so far as depth of thought was concerned. He looke

urmured en

Bontnor, confidentially. "My sist

ord Seahampton, with a stolid fac

ie

r, d

ing a little girl. He's dead now--Mr. Challoner. He's my broth

on, cheerfully, with a glance at th

now he's dead, his daughter Eve is left quite alone in the world, a

A

yes flashed round on

ou kn

chin and spoilt what small

ow of a wom - a lady, who has large

of my niece's, Miss Challoner. I call her Miss Challon

lanced at the

nnot somehow find out about the boat. They're a bit irregular, it seems, and this stupid jabbering of the

y to a little burst of petulance like this, he had a strange, half pathetic way of

rt, such as many horsey persons possess. Something in Captain Bontnor touched him; so

afterwards and find out all about the boat,

at his necktie for a moment with unsteady, weather-beaten hands. "But I s

ahampto

easure; that's what I

ain Bontno

looked down at his own hands; he turned one palm up, showing the faint tattoo on the wrist. "I'm only

ar seemed to be v

on, rather incoherently, "of letting my friends thin

. Captain Bontnor,

e's Sea

or turned and

Lord Sea

his breath. His social facilities did

iedly, "we'll go out and look up these steamer people. Miss Cha

s,

apkin and began to show sign

ll her. Poor young thing! if she's distressed about her father's death--which is only natural, I'm sure--

d, and--yes, I think I'd kiss her. Especially if she was a nice-looking girl," he

ket of his short tweed coat as

is most abrupt manner, as if the cut of

leather case, which had never been of great

slowly. "T--they're not expensive, and I could

th a certain show of eagerness. This young man's reputation for personal bravery was a know

which he was much too practical to define, and possibly too stupid to detect, told him t

wn the shady side of that noisiest street in the world, the

sho

is a lady, you kn

the peer stolidly; "that's why I

ies had been removed. At the same time he glanced furtively towards the inexp

Bontnor found himself talking quite easily and affably about palm-trees and tramways, a

sary information--no easy matter in this country--and took the necessary ticket. Ticket and information alike were obtained from a grave gentleman who smoked a cigarette

he remainder of the cheap cigar on an individual in reduced circumstances and lighted one of his own. He was quite unconscious of having done a good