“All right, daughter?” he asked, quickly, and came over to sit on the side of the divan, holding both her cold little hands in his big warm ones. “That was a nasty tumble, my dear. Thank God it was no worse. But I was sure the good doctor, here, would know what should be done for you.” “But where am I, father?” Erica asked, weakly. “And—and who is—_he_?” She essayed a smile at the wrinkled, yellow old face still staring kindly down at her, beside her father’s sunburnt and ruddy countenance. “Why, you are on the _Sea Gull_, Rick,” Captain Eric said, reassuringly. “And this is the very wise and celebrated physician to His Excellency the Governor of Canton. The Governor, I ought to add, is otherwise known to you, my dear, as your Chinese godfather, Sun Li.” He patted the hands he held very tenderly, while he shook his bushy red head at her in mock reproof. “Still my tomboy Rick, I see,” he sighed. “A nice way to present yourself to so eminent a personage as His Excellency the Governor.” “You _mean_, father,” Erica gasped, sitting up straight in the shock of those last words, “that Sun Li is actually on board the _Sea Gull_? That he came back with you from China?” “Exactly that,” Captain Eric assured her, smiling at her breathless excitement. “As perhaps Lis told you, he has been in poor health for several years, and was finally persuaded by his physician to take a long sea voyage. He agreed at last, provided he could sail on the _Sea Gull_ with his old friend—meaning your father, Rick. So after some discussion with the Canton office of our company it was arranged that His Excellency should charter the _Sea Gull_ for the period of one year, and sail her whither he chose as his own private yacht. He offered a price, by the way, that was worth considerably more than the finest cargoes of tea we could have carried during the same time, and the company agreed to his doing over the saloon and cabins according to Chinese ideas of luxury and beauty. So behold the reason for all the gorgeousness that sent you head first down my companionway, poor little dazzled Ricky!” Even the solemn Chinese doctor smiled at that; but Erica pushed her father’s hand aside and sprang determinedly to her feet. “Where is Sun Li?” she cried, eagerly. “Oh, father, I just must see him, _quick_!” The plum-colored hangings were pushed aside at the far end of the cabin, and Lis stood there, grinning at her with a comical mingling of real relief and teasing in his eyes.