"Now, papa," said Clara that morning, wrinkling herbrows and putting her finger-tips together with the airof an experienced person of business, "I want to have atalk to you about money matters."

"Yes, my dear." He laid down his paper, and lookeda question.

"Kindly tell me again, papa, how much money I have inmy very own right. You have often told me before, but Ialways forget figures."

"You have two hundred and fifty pounds a year of yourown, under your aunt's will.

"And Ida?"

"Ida has one hundred and fifty."

"Now, I think I can live very well on fifty pounds ayear, papa. I am not very extravagant, and I couldmake my own dresses if I had a sewing-machine."

"Very likely, dear."

"In that case I have two hundred a year which I coulddo without."

"If it were necessary."

"But it is necessary. Oh, do help me, like a good,dear, kind papa, in this matter, for my whole heart isset upon it. Harold is in sore need of money, andthrough no fault of his own." With a woman's tact andeloquence, she told the whole story. "Put yourself in myplace, papa. What is the money to me? I never think ofit from year's end to year's end. But now I know howprecious it is. I could not have thought that moneycould be so valuable. See what I can do with it. It mayhelp to save him. I must have it by to-morrow. Oh, do,do advise me as to what I should do, and how I should getthe money."

The Doctor smiled at her eagerness. "You are asanxious to get rid of money as others are to gain it,"said he. "In another case I might think it rash, but Ibelieve in your Harold, and I can see that he has hadvillainous treatment. You will let me deal with thematter."

"You, papa?"

"It can be done best between men. Your capital,Clara, is some five thousand pounds, but it is outon a mortgage, and you could not call it in."

"Oh, dear! oh, dear!"

"But we can still manage. I have as much at my bank. I will advance it to the Denvers as coming from you, andyou can repay it to me, or the interest of it, when yourmoney becomes due."

"Oh, that is beautiful! How sweet and kind of you!"

"But there is one obstacle: I do not think that youwould ever induce Harold to take this money."

Clara's face fell. "Don't you think so, really?"

"I am sure that he would not."

"Then what are you to do? What horrid things moneymatters are to arrange!"

"I shall see his father. We can manage it allbetween us."

"Oh, do, do, papa! And you will do it soon?"

"There is no time like the present. I will go in atonce." He scribbled a cheque, put it in an envelope, puton his broad straw hat, and strolled in through thegarden to pay his morning call.

It was a singular sight which met his eyes as heentered the sitting-room of the Admiral. A great seachest stood open in the center, and allround uponthe carpet were little piles of jerseys, oil-skins,books, sextant boxes, instruments, and sea-boots. Theold seaman sat gravely amidst this lumber, turning itover, and examining it intently; while his wife, with thetears running silently down her ruddy cheeks, sat uponthe sofa, her elbows upon her knees and her chin upon herhands, rocking herself slowly backwards and forwards.

"Hullo, Doctor," said the Admiral, holding out hishand, "there's foul weather set in upon us, as you mayhave heard, but I have ridden out many a worse squall,and, please God, we shall all three of us weather thisone also, though two of us are a little more cranky thanwe were."

"My dear friends, I came in to tell you how deeply wesympathize with you all. My girl has only just told meabout it."

"It has come so suddenly upon us, Doctor," sobbedMrs. Hay Denver. "I thought that I had John to myselffor the rest of our lives--Heaven knows that we have notseen very much of each other--but now he talks of goingto sea again.

"Aye, aye, Walker, that's the only way out of it. When I first heard of it I was thrown up in the wind withall aback. I give you my word that I lost my bearingsmore completely than ever since I strapped a middy's dirkto my belt. You see, friend, I know something ofshipwreck or battle or whatever may come upon the waters,but the shoals in the City of London on which my poor boyhas struck are clean beyond me. Pearson had been mypilot there, and now I know him to be a rogue. But I'vetaken my bearings now, and I see my course right beforeme."

"What then, Admiral?"

"Oh, I have one or two little plans. I'll have somenews for the boy. Why, hang it, Walker man, I may be abit stiff in the joints, but you'll be my witness that Ican do my twelve miles under the three hours. What then? My eyes are as good as ever except just for thenewspaper. My head is clear. I'm three-and-sixty, butI'm as good a man as ever I was--too good a man to lie upfor another ten years. I'd be the better for a smack ofthe salt water again, and a whiff of the breeze. Tut,mother, it's not a four years' cruise this time. I'll beback every month or two. It's no more than if I went fora visit in the country." He was talking boisterously,and heaping his sea-boots and sextants back into hischest.

"And you really think, my dear friend, of hoistingyour pennant again?"

"My pennant, Walker? No, no. Her Majesty, God blessher, has too many young men to need an old hulk like me. I should be plain Mr. Hay Denver, of the merchantservice. I daresay that I might find some owner whowould give me a chance as second or third officer. Itwill be strange to me to feel the rails of the bridgeunder my fingers once more."

"Tut! tut! this will never do, this will never do,Admiral!" The Doctor sat down by Mrs. Hay Denver andpatted her hand in token of friendly sympathy. "We mustwait until your son has had it out with all these people,and then we shall know what damage is done, and how bestto set it right. It will be time enough then to begin tomuster our resources to meet it."

"Our resources!" The Admiral laughed. "There's thepension. I'm afraid, Walker, that our resources won'tneed much mustering."

"Oh, come, there are some which you may not havethought of. For example, Admiral, I had always intendedthat my girl should have five thousand from me when shemarried. Of course your boy's trouble is her trouble,and the money cannot be spent better than in helping toset it right. She has a little of her own which shewished to contribute, but I thought it best to work itthis way. Will you take the cheque, Mrs. Denver, and Ithink it would be best if you said nothing to Haroldabout it, and just used it as the occasion served?"

"God bless you, Walker, you are a true friend. Iwon't forget this, Walker. "The Admiral sat down on hissea chest and mopped his brow with his red handkerchief.

"What is it to me whether you have it now or then? It may be more useful now. There's only one stipulation. If things should come to the worst, and if the businessshould prove so bad that nothing can set it right, thenhold back this cheque, for there is no use in pouringwater into a broken basin, and if the lad should fall, hewill want something to pick himself up again with."

"He shall not fall, Walker, and you shall not haveoccasion to be ashamed of the family into which yourdaughter is about to marry. I have my own plan. But weshall hold your money, my friend, and it will strengthenus to feel that it is there."

"Well, that is all right," said Doctor Walker,rising. "And if a little more should be needed, we mustnot let him go wrong for the want of a thousand or two. And now, Admiral, I'm off for my morning walk. Won't youcome too?"

"No, I am going into town."

"Well, good-bye. I hope to have better news, andthat all will come right. Good-bye, Mrs. Denver. Ifeel as if the boy were my own, and I shall not be easyuntil all is right with him."