“What’s the matter?” said Jack, coming from somewhere aloft or astern. “Heaven bless me, what ails you, Aunt Mary?” “I don’t wonder I’m pale,” said Aunt Mary faintly, “oh—oh—” “We must put our heads together,” said Burnett, taking a drink from a flask that he took out of his pocket; “I must soon put my head on something, and your aunt looks to me to feel the same way. Mitchell, why did you let me forget that vow I made last time to never come again?” “Your vows to never do things again are about as stable as your present hold on an upright position,” said Clover, laying a steadying hand upon his friend’s waveringness. “Sit down, little boy, sit down.” Burnett sat down, Mitchell smiled, Jack laughed, and Aunt Mary groaned. The boat was rising and falling rapidly now, and as she ran further and further out into the ever freshening wind she kept on rising and falling yet more rapidly. The more motion there was the more Aunt Mary seemed to sift down in her two chairs. “We’d better put back,” said Jack; “this won’t do, you know. How do you feel now, Aunt Mary?” he added, leaning over her. Aunt Mary opened her eyes and looked at him but made no reply. “Ask me how I feel, if you dare,” said Burnett, from where his chair was drawn up not far away. “I couldn’t kill you just now, but I will some day I promise you.” He was very white and had a look about his mouth that showed that he meant what he said. Some bells rang somewhere. “That’s dinner,” exclaimed Clover. Aunt Mary gave a piercing cry. “Oh, take me somewhere else,” she said, throwing her hands up to her face; “somewhere where there’ll never be nothin’ to eat again. I—I can’t bear to hear about eatin’.” “I’m going to take her down into one of the cabins,” said Jack hastily, “she belongs in bed.” “No, turn back the carpet and lay me in the bath-tub,” almost sobbed the poor victim. “I don’t feel like I could get flat enough anywhere else.” “She has the proper spirit,” said Burnett faintly, “only I don’t feel as if I could get flat enough anywhere at all. What in the name of the Great Pyramid ever possessed me to come?” Mitchell rose quickly to his feet. “You put your aunt to bed, Jack,” he said, “and I’ll put my yacht to backing. This expedition is expeditiously heading on to what might be termed a failure. I can see that, even if we’re only in a Sound.” “When do you suppose we’ll get back?” the nephew asked anxiously. “About four o’clock, if we don’t lose time by having to tack.” “I didn’t quite catch all that,” said Aunt Mary, “but I knew suthin’ was loose all along. I felt it inside of me right off at first. And ever since, too.” Jack gathered her up in his arms and bore her tenderly away to the beautiful main cabin. “I wanted to live to change my will,” she said sadly, as he laid her down, “but somehow I don’t seem to care for nothin’ no more.” He kissed her hand. “They say being seasick is awfully _good_ for people, Aunt Mary,” he yelled contritely.