"When he turned round he noticed Miss Hyde, started, and took off his cap with a fine bow. 'I beg pardon, ma'am,' said he, 'a trifle of wind we have. I hope, Miss Hyde, it hasn't troubled you in the round-house?' What Miss Hyde might have said I don't know, but her shawl caught a gust out of the spanker, though she was in the lee of the high poop; it blew over her head, and then loose--I sprang forward--but the mate had hold of it, and put it over her again. The young lady smiled politely to the mate, and gave a cold glance of surprise, as I thought, at me. I felt that moment I could have knocked the mate down and died happy. 'Why, sir,' said he, with a cool half-sneer, 'I fancied none of you gentlemen would have favoured us this capful of wind--plenty of air there is on deck, though.' "It just flashed through my mind what sort of rig I was in--I looked over my infernal longshore toggery, and no wonder she didn't recollect me at all. '_Curse_ this confounded folly!' muttered I, and made a dart to run up the poop-steps, where the breeze took me slap aback, just as the judge himself opened the larboard door. 'Why, Violet,' exclaimed he, surprised at seeing his daughter, 'are you exposing yourself to this disagreeable--I declare a perfect _storm_.' 'But see, papa!' said she, taking hold of his arm, 'how changed the sea is!--and the ship!--just look where the sun was!' 'Get in--get in, do!' kept on her father; 'you can see all that again in some finer place; you should have had a servant with you, at least, Violet.' 'I shall come out oftener than I thought, papa, I can tell you!' said she, in an arch sort of way, before she disappeared. "The mate touched his cap to the judge, who asked where the captain was. ''Gad, sir,' said the judge crossly, 'the floor resembles an earthquake--every piece of furniture swings, sir; 'tis well enough for sleeping, but my family find it impossible to dine. If this _oolta-poolta_ continues in my apartments, I must speak to Captain Williamson about it. He must manage to get into some other part of the sea, where it is less rough,' saying which, he swayed himself in and shut the door. "I still kept thinking and picturing _her_ face--Lota Hyde's--when she noticed the mate. After all, any one that knew tack from bowline might reef topsails in a fair wind; but a girl like _that_ would make more count of a man knowing how to manage wind and sea than of the Duke on his horse at Waterloo beating Bonaparte; and as for talk, he would jaw away the whole voyage, no doubt, about moonlight and the ocean, and your genteel fancy mariners. 'By George, though!' thought I, 'if the mate's a better man than me, hang me--it's all right; but burn my wig if I don't go and turn a Hindoo fakeer, with my one arm stuck up in the air till I die. Go it, old lady,' said I, as I glanced over the side before going below for the night, 'roll away, only shake something or other to _do_ out of the pace you're going at.' CHAPTER VI