A Naval Conquest

"Any one would confide in him. His face is a surety," said the Doctor.

"Go on, Walker!" The Admiral dug his elbow at him. "You know my weak
side. Still it's truth all the same. I've been blessed with a good wife
and a good son, and maybe I relish them the more for having been cut off
from them so long. I have much to be thankful for!"

"And so have I. The best two girls that ever stepped. There's Clara, who
has learned up as much medicine as would give her the L.S.A., simply
in order that she may sympathize with me in my work. But hullo, what is
this coming along?"

"All drawing and the wind astern!" cried the Admiral. "Fourteen knots if
it's one. Why, by George, it is that woman!"

A rolling cloud of yellow dust had streamed round the curve of the road,
and from the heart of it had emerged a high tandem tricycle flying along
at a breakneck pace. In front sat Mrs. Westmacott clad in a heather
tweed pea-jacket, a skirt which just{?} passed her knees and a pair of
thick gaiters of the same material. She had a great bundle of red papers
under her arm, while Charles, who sat behind her clad in Norfolk jacket
and knickerbockers, bore a similar roll protruding from either pocket.
Even as they watched, the pair eased up, the lady sprang off, impaled
one of her bills upon the garden railing of an empty house, and then
jumping on to her seat again was about to hurry onwards when her nephew
drew her attention to the two gentlemen upon the footpath.