"Poor girl!" ejaculated Mrs. Vincent. "I pity you; but my husband is an awful man, and I can't do anything about it."
"We haven't anything against her," said Mat. "She is to have a state-room by herself, and live like a lady. That's the captain's orders. The matter rests there, and it isn't any use to say anything more about it."
Mat went on deck, leaving Bessie to weep over her unhappy fate, with no one but Mrs. Vincent to comfort her.
CHAPTER XX.
DOCK VINCENT'S LETTER.
Mr. Watson drove to Gloucester; but at this hour in the evening he had some difficulty in finding the telegraphic operator, and it was fully ten o'clock before he returned to his house in Rockport, ready to go on board of the yacht.
"Why, I thought you had gone!" exclaimed Mrs. Watson, when her husband presented himself.
"No; I was detained in Gloucester. Where is Bessie."
"Bessie has gone on board of the yacht. Mat Mogmore came for her, and said you had gone off in the steward's boat."