"Then I'm afraid, Miss Nellie," he replied, making for the door, so as to secure his retreat, "it must be a very stale one; a sort of `to- morrow' I wouldn't have, if I were you, at any price!" Nellie was not to be beaten so easily, so she followed him out into the hall as he was leaving the house. "Do tell me, dear Captain," she pleaded earnestly. "Do tell me what this wonderful something is that you have in store for us." "I will, my dear," replied the old sailor, succeeding by a dexterous twist in releasing the lapel of his coat from her restraining hand. "I will, my dear. I'll whisper it to you--I will tell you to-morrow!" With this he skipped down the steps as nimbly as a two-year-old, slamming the gate behind him to secure his retreat; and Nellie could hear his hearty "Ho-ho!" as he went along the parade towards Portsmouth. "What a tiresome man the Captain is!" she exclaimed petulantly, on returning to the drawing-room, where Mrs Gilmour had remained with Bob. "It is always `to-morrow,' and `to-morrow,' and `to-morrow'; and when the `to-morrow' comes, he never tells us anything!" "Fie, Nellie, you must not be impatient, my dear," said her aunt, on hearing this outburst. "Recollect how kind and good-natured Captain Dresser has always shown himself, who ever since you two came down here for your holiday, putting himself out in every way to suit your convenience, and never regarding anything as a trouble which could conduce to your pleasure. I confess I am surprised at my little niece Nell speaking in such a way of so good a man. If the Captain keeps you in suspense, depend upon it his purpose is to make you enjoy the treat he has in his mind ten times more than if you knew all about it beforehand." "But I hate being kept in suspense, auntie!" cried Miss Nellie rather naughtily, tossing her head indignantly, and throwing back her golden curls as if she were metaphorically pitching them at the offending old sailor. "I like to know the best or worst at once. I say, Dick, has the Captain told you anything about the treat he has for us?" Poor Dick, who had been thoughtfully left behind by the old sailor, on account of Mrs Gilmour having expressed her intention of going down to the beach with the young people in the afternoon, hardly knew how to answer the question. He did not like to tell an untruth by saying that he had no knowledge of the Captain's plans, nor did he wish to disoblige Miss Nell, so his answer was of the non-committal order--a sort of `I don't recollect' in its way. "I can't tell, miss," was all he said, but, fortunately enough for him, it sufficed to throw Nellie off the scent and prevent her trying any further to worm the secret out of him; although, there is no doubt, she would have succeeded had she persevered, and Dick was on thorns until she went upstairs to get ready for going out, the little lady having an insinuating manner of her own that was well-nigh irresistible.