Crawshay sighed. "The memory of that experience," he began, settling down in his chair,-- "Well, well, you ought to have got over that by this time," the captain interrupted. "What can I do for you, Mr. Crawshay? I have been yarning with the purser a little longer than usual, this morning, and I have some rounds to do." "I must not stand in the way of your daily avocation," the newcomer said gloomily. "I really dropped in chiefly to see if by any chance you had had a wireless message about me." "Not a word." "No message, eh? Now, do you know, that seems to me exceedingly strange," Crawshay ruminated. "I don't see why it should," was the somewhat brusque reply. "I have no doubt that the New York papers have some wonderful headlines--'How an Englishman catches the steamer!' or 'An English diplomatist, eager to fight'--and all that sort of thing. But apart from the spectacular side of it, I don't suppose they consider your adventure of national interest." "On the contrary, it is the development of a new era," Crawshay replied, with dignity. "Just consider what actually happened. I miss the steamer, owing to the breakdown of the Chicago Limited and a subsequent automobile accident. I arrive at the dock whilst you are in the shadow of the Statue of Liberty. What do I do? What no one else has ever done before! I fly after you! Romance has never pictured such a thing. I am a pioneer, Captain." The Captain grinned. "You've been pretty sorry for yourself ever since," he observed. "I must confess that I made up my mind to the heroic deed in a rash moment," Crawshay acknowledged. "I am a person of strong and unconquerable impulses. You see, that exceedingly disagreeable American policeman who was sent up to Halifax on a fool's errand with me, and who subsequently led me on another to Chicago, bet me five hundred dollars, as we stood upon the dock, that I couldn't catch that steamer. Now if there is one thing," he went on, crossing his legs, "which excites my interest more than another, it is a bet." "That and your accent," the captain said, smiling, "are two of your most prominent British traits, Mr. Crawshay." The latter took out his eyeglass and polished it. "I have others," he retorted, "but never mind. I understood you to say, I think, that you have heard nothing by wireless about me?" "Not a word." The captain glanced at his clock and showed some signs of impatience. His visitor, however, remained blandly imperturbable. "I see that you have only one operator in the wireless room," he remarked. "How do you know that?" "I happened to be walking by last night, and I glanced in." "We are short-handed," the captain explained. "Quite naturally," Crawshay replied. "Now with reference to this young man, I watched him coming down the steps from his office this morning. You may be surprised to hear, Captain, that I found him unprepossessing--in fact I might almost say that I took a dislike to him."