"Very clever girl," continued the captain. "She got a scholarship and went to college, and then, when her poor mother died, Hartley was so lonely that she gave it all up and came home to keep house for him."
"Quite a blue-stocking," suggested Robert.
"There's nothing of the blue-stocking about her," said the captain, warmly. "In fact, I shouldn't be surprised if she became engaged soon."
Mr. Vyner became interested. "Oh!" he said, with an instinctive glance over his left shoulder.
Captain Trimblett nodded sagely. "Young fellow of the name of Saunders," he said slowly.
"Oh!" said the other again.
"You might have seen him at Wilson's, the ship-broker's," pursued the captain. "Bert Saunders his name is. Rather a dressy youngster, perhaps. Generally wears a pink shirt and a very high stand-up collar—one o' those collars that you have to get used to."
Mr. Vyner nodded.
"He's not good enough for her," said the captain, shaking his head. "But then, nobody is. Looked at that way it's all right."
"You seem to take a great interest in it," said Robert.