"Although I should be very sorry to have you go away from here, Owen, I am sure that the captain is right. It is just what you want; a sea voyage would set you up, and make a man of you, and if you remain in the office you'll grow into just such another withered thing as the old man. I'll speak to him, and tell him, if he wants to keep you alive and well, he must let you take a voyage with the good captain. I have heard of him, and Mr Fluke has a great respect for him, I know." Mrs Kezia did not fail to introduce the subject in her usual manner. Mr Fluke would not hear of it. "Nonsense," he answered, "the boy does very well; he can walk to and from the office, and eats his meals." "He does not eat one-half what he used to do," answered Kezia; "he is growing paler and paler every day. He has a nasty cough, and you will have him in his grave before long if you don't take care." "Pooh! pooh!" answered Mr Fluke. "Boys don't die so easily as that." He turned away his head to avoid Kezia's glance. She did not let the matter drop, however. A fortnight or more had passed by. Mr Fluke had missed one of his favourite tulips, which grew in a flower-pot. On inquiring for it of Joseph: "It's all safe," was the answer, "I'm trying an experiment with it." Whenever Mr Fluke asked about the tulip, he always received the same reply: "We shall see how it gets on in a few days." At length one afternoon when he came home, somewhat to his surprise, Kezia appeared in the garden. "What about that tulip, Joseph, which master was asking for?" she said. "Should you like to see it, sir?" asked Joseph. "Of course I should," answered Mr Fluke, expecting to see the flower greatly improved in size and beauty. "I told Joseph to put it in the tool-house, just to see how it looks after being shut up in the dark without air," said Kezia in her most determined manner. "In the tool-house!" exclaimed Mr Fluke. "What in the world made you put it there, Joseph?" "Kezia bade me, sir, and you know I dare not disobey her," answered Joseph, demurely. "And I bade him just for the reason I said," exclaimed Kezia. "Let us see it by all means," cried Mr Fluke, hastening in the direction of the tool-house, which was in a corner of the garden on the north side, out of sight. Kezia stalked on before her master and her husband. She entered first, and came out with a flower-pot in her hand. The tulip, instead of having gained in size and beauty, looked withered, and its once proud head hung down, its colours sadly faded.