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 WÄRTSILÄ

ENCYCLOPEDIA OF
SHIP TECHNOLOGY
BY JAN BABICZ
 WÄRTSILÄ
ENCYCLOPEDIA
OF
SHIP TECHNOLOGY
Second Edition

by Jan Babicz

wstęp.indd 1 2014-11-18 19:07:06

 )LUVWSXEOLVKHGE\%LXUR2NUĊWRZH%$2%$%-DQ%DELF]

Second edition 2015 by WÄRTSILÄ CORPORATION

Copyright 2015 WÄRTSILÄ CORPORATION

'73/D\RXW&H]DU\6SLJDUVNLZZZR¿F\QDPRUVNDSO

$OOULJKWVUHVHUYHG1RSDUWRIWKLVSXEOLFDWLRQPD\EHUHSURGXFHGLQDQ\IRUPRUE\
DQ\PHDQVZLWKRXWSULRUZULWWHQSHUPLVVLRQRIWKHFRS\ULJKWKROGHU

:KLOVWHYHU\HIIRUWKDVEHHQPDGHWRHQVXUHWKDWWKHLQIRUPDWLRQFRQWDLQHGLQWKLV
ERRNLVFRUUHFWQHLWKHUWKH$XWKRUQRU:b576,/b&25325$7,21FDQDFFHSWDQ\
UHVSRQVLELOLW\ IRU DQ\ HUURUV RU RPLVVLRQV RU IRU DQ\ FRQVHTXHQFHV UHVXOWLQJ WKHUH
IURP

ISBN 978-952-93-5535-8 (hardcover)

ISBN 978-952-93-5536-5 (PDF)

www.shippingencyclopedia.com
Inside paper LumiForte 90 gsm / m2 and cover paper LumiSilk 150 gsm / m2,
made by Stora Enso Oyj

Acknowledgements

First of all, I would like to thank Mikael Simelius, who inspired my to prepare
the second edition of this work. I am also indebted to Paul Glandt, who supervised
the project and to the whole team of proofreaders who read the text and gave their
valuable comments. I would also like to express my gratitude to companies and
individuals who provided me with pictures, illustrations and information used in this
book.
Jan Babicz
GdaĔsk September 

48363_02-04_Wartsila_13.5 KORJ.indd 1 13.5.2015 14.11

 WÄRTSILÄ
ENCYCLOPEDIA
OF
SHIP TECHNOLOGY
Second Edition

Compiled by

JAN BABICZ
Consulting Naval Architect & Ship Surveyor

HELSINKI 2015

48363_02-04_Wartsila_13.5 KORJ.indd 2 13.5.2015 14.11

 Foreword
It is with great pleasure and pride that we present this second edition of the
Wärtsilä Encyclopedia of Ship Technology. With 180 years of experience behind
us, and as a technology leader in the marine industry’s global transition to greater
efficiency, lower operating costs and enhanced environmental performance, we are
in a unique position to influence the future of this industry.

One of the ways in which we seek to strengthen the growth and secure the future
of commercial shipping is to pass on the know-how that we have gained to future
generations of maritime professionals. This encyclopedia is evidence of this
commitment.

At Wärtsilä, we strongly believe that the marine industry must adapt to the
new realities imposed by rising construction and operating costs, the need for
operational and fuel flexibility, and increasingly stringent environmental regulations.
These factors have led to the rapid development and adoption of new technologies,
and in this Wärtsilä has taken a leading role. It is only through improving the overall
efficiency of operating vessels that these challenges can be met.

Today Wärtsilä, as a total solutions provider to the marine and oil & gas industries,
has a portfolio of marine products and systems that cannot be matched by any
other company. Our position as an innovative technology leader has also been
enhanced through some key acquisitions of leading companies with proven
track records and unique offerings. The combination of our years of experience
and extensive in-house know-how, together with the expertise acquired through
acquisitions, has enabled Wärtsilä to better serve its global customers and provide
real and meaningful support throughout the entire lifecycle of their vessels. From
initial design, to engineering, to providing a single source of supply that saves time
and costs, to support from the industry’s most comprehensive service network,
Wärtsilä offers a shorter route to customer profits. A full review of what Wärtsilä
offers can be found at www.wartsila.com. We hope that you will make use of
this encyclopedia and in so doing, help to accelerate the move toward a more
economically and environmentally sustainable future for the marine sector.

April 2015

Jaakko Eskola

Senior Executive Vice President and President, Ship Power

Wärtsilä Corporation

48363_02-04_Wartsila_13.5 KORJ.indd 3 13.5.2015 14.11

48363_05-06_Wartsila_13.5 KORJ.indd 1 13.5.2015 13.43
48363_05-06_Wartsila_13.5 KORJ.indd 2 13.5.2015 13.43
 This is Wärtsilä
Wärtsilä is a global leader in technologies and lifecycle solutions for the marine
and energy markets. In 2014, Wärtsilä’s net sales totalled EUR 4,8 billion with
approximately 17,700 employees. The company has operations in more than 200
locations in some 70 countries around the world. Wärtsilä is publicly listed on the
Nasdaq Helsinki exchange in Finland. The company has three businesses;
Ship Power, Power Plants and Services.

The extent of Wärtsilä’s global reach in the marine sector is exemplified by the
fact that one in every three ocean going vessels has a Wärtsilä solution The
company has an unmatched portfolio of products, solutions and ship design
services that enables it to be a total solutions provider to its customers. Wärtsilä’s
technology leadership position has time and again led to key developments that
are meeting the challenges faced today by ship owners and operators around the
world. These can be seen, for example, in the fuel flexibility of Wärtsilä engines
that has led to Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) being increasingly adopted as a
clean and competitively priced marine fuel. In addition to its ship machinery, the
company also offers generating sets, reduction gears, propulsion equipment,
control systems, sealing solutions, and a broad range of environmental solutions
that includes exhaust scrubber systems, ballast water management systems and
other solutions that enable compliance with global and local regulations. Wärtsilä’s
recent acquisition of L-3 MSI will bring a broad range of competences within
the area of Electrical & Automation (E&A), which will form an unmatched and
comprehensive E&A offering. Wärtsilä commands a strong position in all marine
segments as well as in the offshore oil & gas industry.

Wärtsilä Power Plants is a leading global supplier of flexible baseload power plants
of up to 600 MW operating on various gaseous and liquid fuels. The company’s
portfolio includes unique solutions for peaking, reserve and load-following power
generation, as well as for balancing intermittent power production. Wärtsilä Power
Plants also provides LNG terminals and distribution systems. In addition to the
technical advantages, Wärtsilä’s fast track deliveries of complete power plants,
together with long-term operation and maintenance agreements, provide customers
with complete solutions– in urban areas as well as in the most demanding remote
environments. As of 2015, Wärtsilä has installed more than 4,700 power plants in
175 countries, with a total combined capacity of 55 GW.

Wärtsilä Services provides support to its Ship Power and Power Plant customers
throughout the lifecycle of their installations by optimising efficiency and
performance. The company provides the most comprehensive portfolio of services
and the broadest service network in the industry. High quality, expert support,
and the availability of services in the most environmentally sound way possible -,
regardless of the location of the customer. Wärtsilä has also launched innovative
new services, such as service for multiple engine brands in key ports, predictive
and condition based maintenance, tailored online services, and full operations and
management contracts for customer installations. Wärtsilä is committed to carrying
out its business in a sustainable way. Wärtsilä’s Code of Conduct and sustainability
programmes are aligned with the UN Global Compact. In order to promote the
long-term interests of Wärtsilä and its stakeholders, the company strives to
maintain the highest legal and ethical standards in all its operations.

48363_07_Wartsila_15.5 KORJ.indd 1 15.5.2015 9.26

 A

Abandonment – All operations required for breaking out stowage and the safe
disengagement and clearing away of the life-saving equipment with full complement
from the stricken ship.
Able-bodied seaman (A.B.) – A member of the deck crew who is able to perform all the
duties of an experienced seaman; must have three years of sea service.
Abnormal condition – A condition that occurs in a process system when an operating variable
(flow, pressure, temperature, etc.) ranges outside of its normal operating limits, (ABS).
Abrasion – Scraping or wearing away, rubbing off.
Abrasion resistance – Resistance to frictional rubbing.
Abrasive – Agent used for blast cleaning before coating application.
Abrasive blasting – Cleaning of steel with abrasives propelled by compressed air jet
preparatory to painting.
Grit blasting, shot blasting – A cleaning process for metal plate in which dry metal
shot or steel grit is projected at the surface. Open grit blasting is still the most popular
way to prepare surfaces for coating. This method gives an ideal foundation for paint,
and blast-cleaning combined with a modern, correctly used paint system will make the
paint last 4-5 times longer than corresponding surfaces pretreated in a conventional
way. Unfortunately, the dust caused by grit blasting poses health risks and can restrict
the work of other trades. The use of hydrojetting (high pressure water blasting) or slurry
blasting (grit media and water) can reduce this problem.
Sand blasting – An abrasive cleaning method for steel plating which may use dry sand
or a sand and water mixture.
Absorbent material – Substance that is able to take in moisture, oil, etc.
Acceleration – The rate of velocity change or the average increase of velocity in a unit time,
usually expressed in meters per square seconds (m/s2).
Accelerometer – A mechanical or electromechanical instrument that measures acceleration.
Acceptance tests, acceptance trials – A series of tests performed on a material, a machine or
a system, in the presence of the purchaser or a surveyor to demonstrate suitable quality
or operation. See also Dock tests, Sea trials.
Accessibility – The ability for personnel to access equipment easily that requires maintenance,
inspection, removal or replacement while wearing the appropriate clothing, including
personal protective equipment and using all necessary tools and test equipment.
Accident – An event that happens unexpectedly and causes damage, injury, etc.
Accident categories (acc. to Lloyds Maritime Information Services casualty database) – The
LMIS casualty database divides the accidents into the following categories:
1. Foundered – includes ships which sank as a result of heavy weather, leaks, breaking
into two, etc, and not as a consequence of other categories such as collision etc.
2. Missing vessel – includes ships that disappeared without any trace or witnesses
knowing exactly what happened in the accident.
3. Fire/explosion – includes ships where fire/explosion is the first event reported, or
where fire/explosion results from hull/machinery damage, i.e. this category includes
fires due to engine damage, but not fires due to collision etc.

Wärtsilä Encyclopedia of Ship Technology 5

Encyklopedia_wartsila_wyd_II.indb 5 2014-11-18 18:53:34

 Accommodation

4. Collision – includes ships striking or being struck by another ship, regardless of

whether under way, anchored or moored. This category does not include ships
striking underwater wrecks.
5. Contact – includes ships striking or being struck by an external object, but not
another ship or the sea bottom. This category includes striking drilling rigs/platforms,
regardless of whether in fixed position or in tow.
6. Wrecked/stranded – includes ships striking the sea bottom, shore or underwater
wrecks.
7. War loss/hostilities – includes ships damaged from all hostile acts.
8. Hull/machinery damage – includes ships where the hull/machinery damage is not
due to other categories such as collision etc.
9. Miscellaneous – includes lost or damaged ships which cannot be classified into any
of the categories 1 through 8 due to not falling into any of the categories above or due
to lack of information (e.g. an accident starting by the cargo shifting would typically
be classified as miscellaneous).
Accommodation – The part of the ship which is used for cabins, dining areas and other
crew facilities. SOLAS defines accommodation spaces as spaces used for public spaces,
corridors, lavatories, cabins, offices, hospitals, cinemas, games and hobby rooms, barber
shops, pantries containing no cooking appliances and similar spaces.
“With reduction in staffing and increases in the complexity of on-board systems, it is vital that
crew members are provided with supportive accommodation spaces. Proper accommodations
design and appropriate ambient environment enhance the safety, productivity, morale and
overall well-being of crew.” “Conversely, improper accommodations design can adversely
impact the crew members’ ability to reliably perform their duties, fully relax, sleep and recover
from mentally and physically demanding work activities. This in turn may impact their ability
to carry out duties on succeeding watches with the required diligence and accuracy.”
Source: ABS Guide for “Crew Habitability on Ships” (2001),
can be downloaded from www.eagle.org
Accommodation ladder – A portable ladder hinged to a platform attached to the side of
a ship and which can be positioned to provide access between ship and shore. Telescopic
accommodation ladder is used for covering a long distance between the vessel and port
quay. According to amendments to SOLAS Convention ships constructed on or after
1 January 2010 shall be provided with means of embarkation on and disembarkation
from ships for use in port, such as gangway and accommodation ladders. See also
Boarding arrangement.
Accumulation test of the boiler – A boiler test to ensure that the safety valves can release
steam fast enough to prevent the pressure rising by 10%. The main steam stop valve is
closed during the test.
Acetylene – A colourless, poisonous gas used with oxygen for oxy-acetylene metal welding
or cutting.
Acquisition – The selection of the target vessels requiring a tracking procedure and the
initiation of their tracking.
Act of God – An unpredictable situation which is beyond the power of man. A natural event,
not preventable by any human power, such as flood, storms, or lighting usually quoted
as “force majeure”.

6 Wärtsilä Encyclopedia of Ship Technology

Encyklopedia_wartsila_wyd_II.indb 6 2014-11-18 18:53:34

 Active-fin stabilisers

Photo: J. Babicz

Accommodation ladder
To enable an efficient control of persons arriving onboard in port, it is very good to have
the accommodation ladder, which leads directly to a reception point near the Deck Office.

Active-fin stabilisers – The reduction of rolling provides better fuel/speed performance on

rough seas, enhances crew safety and possibly their efficiency. The roll amplitude can be
reduced by passive devices, such as bilge keels, or by active devices, such as hydrofoil-
shaped fins usually located near amidships, port side and starboard. In a seaway, hydraulic
tilting gear continuously varies the angle of attack of the fins, to produce heeling moments
reducing the ship tendency to roll. Active-fin stabilisers require ship forward motion in
order to develop lift. They are available as folding types or non-retractable construction.
For many years active-fin stabilisers have been applied on cruise ships and passenger
vessels as a means of reducing excessive rolling. Today, owners of other types of vessels,
especially large containerships, are increasingly specifying fin stabilisers.
For more information visit www.simplex-turbulo.com

Wärtsilä Encyclopedia of Ship Technology 7

Encyklopedia_wartsila_wyd_II.indb 7 2014-11-18 18:53:34

 ACTIVE-FIN STABILISERS
Illustrations courtesy of Rolls-Royce

The Brown Brothers Neptun II folding stabilisers for large vessels. Fin area: 4.2 - 22.33 m2, total
weight: 36.5 -190 tonnes. The transatlantic liner QUEEN MARY 2 features four sets of 15.63 m2 Neptune folding
stabilisers.

The Brown Brothers Aquarius folding stabilisers designed for small cruise
ships, passenger ferries, small naval and coastguard vessels.
Fin area: 1.82 - 5.78 m2, total weight: 19.3 - 40.2 tonnes.

8 Wärtsilä Encyclopedia of Ship Technology

Encyklopedia_wartsila_wyd_II.indb 8 2014-11-18 18:53:34

 ACTIVE-FIN STABILISERS
Illustrations courtesy of Rolls-Royce

The Brown Brothers Gemini non-retractable stabilisers designed for smaller vessels.
Fin area: 1.4 - 3.2 m2, total weight: 1.92 - 6.75 tonnes.

The hull-closing plate is included

as an integral part of the fin unit.

The Brown Brothers Modular non-

retractable stabilisers meet military
standards for noise, shock and
vibration levels.

Wärtsilä Encyclopedia of Ship Technology 9

Encyklopedia_wartsila_wyd_II.indb 9 2014-11-18 18:53:35

 Active heave-compensation (AHC) technology

Active heave-compensation (AHC) technology – Offshore cranes and other equipment

doing subsea work are provided with AHC systems to ensure presicion in high sea states
and extreme weather conditions. The essential function of AHC technology is the ability to
land and retrieve subsea installations to and from the seabed with precision and accuracy,
while minimising the impact caused by the motion of the vessel. The major principle of
AHC technology is based on advanced motion sensors that measure the vessel’s heave,
pitch and roll and calculate resulting geometrical estimate of heave motion of the point
where a lifting wire exits the vessel. AHC uses complex electro-hydraulic PLC controlled
systems to control the movement of the lift wire so that the motion introduced by the
crane-tip is damped as much as possible. It enables modern subsea vessels to continue
working with loads near the seabed under increasingly adverse weather conditions.
Actuator – A motor providing rotary or linear motion.
Adblue – Registered trademark for AUS32 (Aqueous Urea Solution 32.5%) and is used in
a process called selective catalytic reduction (SCR) to reduce emissions of oxides of
nitrogen from the exhaust of diesel engine motor vehicles.
Added mass – The mass of water which is considered to be set in motion by a ship when
heaving, pitching, rolling and vibrating.
Additives – Chemicals added to fuel, lubricating oils or fresh water to improve their physical
or chemical characteristics.
Adhesion of a coating – Bonding strength; the attraction of a coating to the substrate, or to
another film of paint or any other material such as steel.
Adhesive – Substance that makes things stick.
Adiabatic – A thermodynamic process described by that no heat is added or removed from
the system.
Admeasurements – The confirmed or official ship dimensions.
Administration – As used in international conventions, the government of the state whose
flag the ship is flying.
Maritime administrations – Governmental organizations, such as the United
States Coast Guard (USCG), UK Marine Safety Agency (UK MSA), Norwegian Maritime
Directorate (NMD), etc., that provide maritime services such as the issuance of certificates
and classification of ships for safety. The flag state administrations are responsible for
overseeing the worldwide construction and operation of ships in accordance with
international and national laws. However many countries delegate this responsibility
to classification societies in order to take advantage of their expertise and worldwide
network of surveyors.
Port administration – The appropriate authority of the country in the port of which the
ship is loading or unloading.
Admiralty coefficient, Admiralty constant – A coefficient used in the preliminary estimations
of the power required in a new design to attain the desired speed. It is presented by the
formula:
D2/3 · V3
C=
P
where: D = displacement in tons, V = speed in knots, P = shaft power in kW.
Values range from 400 to 600, the higher the value the more economic the vessel.
Adrift – Floating, not controlled, without a clearly determinable direction. A vessel is said to
be adrift when she breaks away from her moorings.

10 Wärtsilä Encyclopedia of Ship Technology

Encyklopedia_wartsila_wyd_II.indb 10 2014-11-18 18:53:35

 Aground

Adsorbent – A solid substance used to remove components from a gas being processed.
Adsorption – Adhesion of molecules from a gas or liquid to a surface. Typical examples are
instrument or inert gas driers. Should not be confused with absorption.
Advance – The distance that the ship has advanced in a direction parallel to the original
course measured from the point where the helm was put over. See also Manoeuvring
parameters.
Afloat – In a floating condition; the opposite of aground.
Aframax tanker – A tanker with deadweight of 79,999dwt, however the term Aframax is
generally used for tankers in the 50,000 – 100,000dwt capacity range. See also Tanker.

Illustrations courtesy of Stena Bulk

Ice - Aframax STENA ARCTICA

Aft peak – A compartment located aft of the aftermost watertight bulkhead.

Aft peak bulkhead – A term applied to the first main transverse watertight bulkhead
forward of the stern.
Aft peak tank – The compartment in the narrow part of the stern aft of the aft peak bulkhead.
Aft perpendicular (AP) – The aft perpendicular passes through the aft end of the freeboard
length L.
A-frame –
1. A type of lifting gear often installed on stern of cable vessels, pipe-lying vessels and
offshore construction vessels for sub sea load handling.
2. A fabricated steel structural element of a slow speed, two-stroke diesel engine. It
stands on the bedplate above the main bearings.
Afterbody – That portion of a ship hull aft amidships.
After shoulder – The part of the ship form where the parallel middle body and the run
meet.
Aground – When a vessel rests on something solid other than the blocks in a dry-dock or
slipway she is said to be aground.

Wärtsilä Encyclopedia of Ship Technology 11

Encyklopedia_wartsila_wyd_II.indb 11 2014-11-18 18:53:35

Another random document with
no related content on Scribd:
 "Aunt Dannie has been depressing me to-day. She says
Chuckles hates coming the round of the farm with me. I
always like him to be with me in the afternoon."

"I think," said Sidney slowly, "I should let him consider
that a treat, not an obligation. Send him to the Rectory
some afternoons for a change."

"I will," said Monica firmly. "I am coming to the

conclusion that I am too old a woman to have the care of a
little child. He wants someone brighter and younger."

"He is a very fortunate little boy, Monnie, and he has a

young bright governess. What else does he want? Good-
bye. Don't torture your old head with your delinquencies as
an aunt. You are all that you ought to be. Good-bye till to-
night."

She waved her hand as she parted from her friend, and
went her way, softly singing to herself Longfellow's lines:

"Ah! what would the world be to us

If the children were no more?
We should dread the desert behind us
Worse than the dark before.

"What the leaves are to the forest,

With light and air for food,
Ere their sweet and tender juices
Have been hardened into wood.

"That to the world are children,

Through them it feels the glow
 Of a brighter and sunnier climate
Than reaches the trunks below."

CHAPTER XIV
A DIFFICULT TIME

MONICA, in a grey silk gown, and Sidney, in a russet-

brown velvet with old point lace, stood in the drawing-room,
warming their feet on the fender and waiting for Mrs.
Norman's arrival. The Admiral met her in a friendly fashion
in the hall, and brought her in. Her gown was of a
heliotrope satin; it fitted her like a sheath; her dark hair
was bound with silver braid and an aigrette; her complexion
was, to even Monica's eyes, slightly made up with rouge
and powder. But her manner was sweet and gracious, and
had a touch of deference in it to the Admiral.

She took hold of both Sidney's hands, but did not offer
to kiss her.

"You are a dear girl to send me such a sweet note! It

took away all hesitation on my part about coming to-night.
How nice to see you, Miss Pembroke! This is quite an
unexpected pleasure."

"I hope you don't consider I shall be in the way," said

Monica, with her grave smile. "I told Sidney that I had
qualms about inserting myself into such a family party. But
she and I are almost like sisters, so you will understand that
I am glad to have an opportunity of offering you my
congratulations."

"Thank you very much. I have really known you as long

as I have Sidney, have I not?"

The easy way in which she uttered Sidney's name made

the girl start, but she said nothing. The ice was broken,
and, sitting down, conversation became general. Major
Urquhart was the only one who was rather silent, but his
eyes followed every gesture of the widow's, and his ears
were only open to her words. When the ladies were in the
drawing-room after dinner, Mrs. Norman seated herself on
the sofa by Monica.

"I can't tell you how this has upset my quiet

monotonous life! I had so little idea when I came here what
would happen. And my heart is still in my little cottage,
which I have made so pretty. It will be a great blow to leave
it."

Sidney got up and moved about the room rather

restlessly, putting things straight. Why was it, she
wondered, that Mrs. Norman always tried to ignore her in
conversation?

"But why should you leave it?" asked Monica in her

quiet decided tones. "I should have thought it was an ideal
home for two people."

Mrs. Norman heaved a slight sigh.

"Men require more room than women, do they not? The

Major will not hear of it. And his impatience almost irritates
me, if it were not so touching. He wants our marriage to be
at once. I believe he thinks a week or so is quite long
enough to wait. We mean to go up to town very quietly, and
walk into one of the City churches one day, without any
following at all, except the necessary witnesses."

Sidney came across the room and re-seated herself.

"I am sure you are wise in coming to that decision. Poor

Uncle Ted has hated crowds all his life. Have you fixed the
day yet?"

"Not at present. You may be sure I will tell you when we

have."

Sidney gave a little laugh. She could not help it. Then
Mrs. Norman addressed herself to her:

"Can you spare time to-morrow to show me over the

house, Sidney dear? Your uncle is very anxious that I should
have the choice of rooms. He wants me to have a little
boudoir of my own upstairs, but you are not cramped for
room at all, are you? So there will be no difficulty about
that. He wanted me to come over yesterday, but I said 'No,
I will speak to Sidney first.'"

"I will take you over the house whenever you like," said
Sidney.

"Thank you. It is a dear old rambling place, is it not?

And your old-fashioned bits of furniture seem to suit it.
Don't be afraid that I shall make any changes. I am not
fond of these comfortless modern rooms. As long as my
own room is according to my taste, I shall leave the rest of
the house as it is, and I hope, my dear Sidney, we shall be
very happy together. I do not see any reason why we
should not be. You will have your father to look after, and to
be with; I shall have my dear Ted, and if I relieve you of the
housekeeping, you will have the more time for your outdoor
pursuits. Perhaps we shall be able to induce Gavine to
spend more of her time at home; a house with young
people in it is always cheerful, and I know you like her and
she likes you."

Just for a moment Monica's eyes met Sidney's, and she

had a glimpse of the misery that was in them. Her friends
always said that Sidney's eyes betrayed her.

Sidney was almost breathless with the assurance and

sweet determination of the widow, but she held her head
high, and smiled as she responded:

"It is early days to talk of our combined households yet,

Mrs. Norman. Perhaps it may never come to pass."

"Has Gavine gone away?" Monica called hastily, feeling

that the atmosphere might get electric.

And in talking of that young lady, they veered away

from the subject of the house and housekeeping.

Major Urquhart was the first to return from the dining-

room, and he proposed some music.

Sidney sat down and sang with such warmth and

sweetness that Monica marvelled at her. But she and the
Admiral were the chief audience, for the Major and his
ladylove retired to the farther end of the room, where they
conversed in low tones until the party broke up.

It was not a comfortable evening, but as Sidney

whispered to Monica in the hall as she was helping her into
her cloak, "We have got through it amicably, and that was
the most that I hoped."
 In a few days the neighbourhood received the news,
and Mrs. Norman was recognised as the Major's fiancée.
Mrs. de Cressiers could not conceal from Sidney the relief
which this turn of affairs had brought to her.

"So much more suitable than my poor dear Austin! She

was quite true in all she told me. She never had cared for
my boy. It was a very one-sided attachment."

And Sidney and her father just waited on, saying very
little to outsiders, but feeling all the more. It was a difficult
time to them, and Sidney's spirits, though generally good,
fluctuated occasionally.

After her inspection of the house, Mrs. Norman did not

trouble them much with her company, but the Major talked
of nothing but her wishes and her views and her likings,
until even the Admiral began to lose his equanimity of
temper. One day there was a question raised about the
guns on the Terrace.

"Ethel wants to know if you would mind very much if

they were moved. She says they spoil that bit of lawn. I
told her you were attached to them, but they wouldn't look
bad in the field on the edge of the cliff. She says they would
show a more imposing front there to the public up and
down the river."

Then the Admiral turned upon his brother.

"Look here, Ted, if those guns go, I go too. You know

they've been part of the soil for a couple of generations. For
goodness' sake, man, let your future wife keep to her own
province, and not meddle with our family trophies. And let
her have a right to our name before she begins to turn our
household topsy-turvy."
 Major Urquhart said a bad word and flung himself out of
the room. From being good-tempered and in high spirits, he
relapsed into sullenness and gloom, and spent all his days
down at the cottage. Sidney guessed that Mrs. Norman was
quietly and steadily exerting all her powers to estrange him
from her and her father. But her heart ached for him, as she
knew he was being used as the widow's mouthpiece, and
did not like the business.

The wedding-day was fixed, and Sidney packed her

uncle's portmanteaux and thought of everything him. By
Mrs. Norman's wish, none of the family were to come up to
it. They were going to Paris for a fortnight, and then coming
straight to The Anchorage.

Just before the Major left the house, he found Sidney

tidying in his dressing-room. She put her hands
affectionately on his shoulders.

"Oh, dear Uncle Ted, I do wish you happiness." He

looked at her wistfully.

"I do believe you do," he said. "I'm—I'm rather too old

for this kind of thing. It makes me feel nervous. But I wish
you felt nicer in your heart towards Ethel. It always gives
me an uncomfortable feeling when you are talking
together."

He shook his head as he spoke.

"Now, look here," said Sidney with earnestness, "if we

aren't a happy family when we all settle in together, you
must let father and me slip away from you, and then there
will be no friction. We mustn't live at warfare with one
another. We will see how things work. You have told father
you don't want him to go, but I won't have him stay here, if
he is miserable."
 "No, no," the Major said hastily. "We will see, as you
say. Why shouldn't we go on as we have done all these
years? And I won't have those guns moved. I have told her
so. We've been very good friends, little Sid, have we not?
We shall pull together all right."

But when he had gone Sidney went away to her room

and had a good cry.

She knew that the old days were gone, and would never
come back again; that nothing would ever be the same
when Mrs. Norman came to live in their midst.

And then she poured out her soul in prayer, and rose
from her knees with a bright and steadfast spirit. "I will
make father happy anywhere. I must. If it were not for his
feelings, I would set to work at once to find a fresh home.
But he will break his heart, if he has to leave this. God
knows about it, and He loves dad better than I do. I will
trust Him to do what He sees best. And meanwhile we shall
have a very happy fortnight together."

Jockie kept Sidney bright at this juncture. She was

always popping in at unexpected times and giving her news
of Chuckles, or of the village, and no one could be in her
presence long without being infected by her spirit of mirth.
She learnt to be very silent on the subject of the absent
bride and bridegroom, for she saw her outspoken remarks
were neither palatable to Sidney nor her father, and, as she
wisely remarked to Monica:

"Now the thing is done, it's no good to sit down and

moan about it. We must all grin and bear it."

Gavine had said very little in her letters about her

mother. She wrote to Sidney long details of her work, and
said she was very happy.
 "Yet the work would not have made me happy," she
wrote; "there is so much that is depressing and
disheartening. But after that wonderful talk I had with you,
I see things so differently. And I really do feel now that
one's Foundation is the only comfort in life. When I visit the
sick, and realise how little I can relieve their pain, I know I
can tell them of the certain cure for their weary, sin-stained
souls. And hope, glad hope, of our good time by and by, is
better than any doctor's tonic."

Sidney kept up a brisk correspondence with her, for she

felt that she had been brought into touch with her to help
her. And Gavine wrote to Jockie that "Miss Urquhart's letters
were like 'angels' messages.'"

The fortnight flew by, and then came the arrival of the
bride and bridegroom.

Major Urquhart looked bright, but there were times

when a nervous flicker of his eyelids and an anxious look in
his eyes betrayed a want of ease in his wife's society. She
was, as usual, sweetness itself, and expressed herself
delighted with her rooms and all the preparations made for
their arrival. Only Sidney noticed that a certain sharp
inflection of tone had crept into her conversations with her
husband. Major Urquhart had never taken the initiative in
household matters, and was with the greatest difficulty
prevailed upon to do so now. He could not understand his
wife's continual hints and suggestions, and would say
bluntly:

"Well, ask Vernon; he'll see to it, or else Sidney will."

The situation was a tense and difficult one to all.

One thing Major Urquhart utterly refused to do, and

that was to sit at the head of the table. Sidney relinquished
her seat at once, and Mrs. Urquhart promptly took it, but
the Admiral faced her.

Before very long Sidney came to her father:

"We cannot continue to live here, dad dear. It will be a

ceaseless fret to all of us. I have given over the
housekeeping to her, and she is altering all the hours of
everything, just for the mere sake of changing our ordinary
routine. There is no reason in it. I asked for the pony
carriage yesterday, and could not have it. To-day I have
asked again, but she has again ordered it for her own use.
She is pulling down the outside greenhouse, and a
conservatory is going to be built on to the hall. I don't know
where the money is coming from. And she has just told me
that some friends of hers are coming down for the week-
end, and she is afraid she will have to ask me to give up my
room and move up to the top floor whilst they are here. I
never make a single objection to anything she says, but the
more I acquiesce the more she demands. What are we to
do?"

The Admiral looked at his daughter with troubled eyes.

"I am afraid she resents our presence here. Well, little

girl, if we have to go, we must. Would You like to come up
to town for a month or two before We settle down again?"

Sidney's face flushed and sparkled with pleasure. She

had never been able to induce her father to stay long in
London at any time. She had often longed to see a little
more life, and renew her friendship with old school friends
and distant relations, but would not leave her father. Such a
prospect before her seemed to take all the sting out of her
present circumstances.
 "Why, dad, that will be delightful! Let us go at once! We
can say it is for a visit, and it will be better for them to
settle down alone together."

They planned it all out, and at dinner that evening, after

the servants left the room, Mrs. Urquhart again mentioned
her coming visitors.

"They are such charming people. Surely you have met

them? She is a niece of Lord Berrydown's, and her sister,
who lives with her, is quite one of Society's beauties. I met
them abroad a few years ago, and we were the greatest
friends. They have just let their flat in town. He is ordered
into the country for a rest. He has had a kind of nervous
breakdown—so sad for a man! But he is a scholar, and has
been working too hard at deciphering some old Persian
books. I thought you would let him have the run of your
study, Vernon. He will enjoy your library, and he will be able
to lie on your couch by the window, and read and smoke by
the hour together, looking out on that lovely peep of the
river."

The Admiral smiled; he could not help it. It was his turn
now, he felt, to be ousted from his quiet retreat, which had
hitherto been monopolised solely by himself and his
daughter.

Sidney never betrayed a sign of vexation. Her father

marvelled at her perfect self-control.

"That will be very pleasant for him," she said, meeting

Mrs. Urquhart's eyes with serene equanimity. "I hope the
change down here will do him good, poor man! It will fit in
very well, for father and I are going up to town the end of
this week."
 "To town!" the Major blurted out. "Why, Vernon, you
hate it! You never told me you meant to go. I—I don't see
how we're to get on without you here to entertain these
people."

He looked helplessly at his wife. If Sidney's statement

was news to her, she never showed her surprise, but went
on peeling her walnuts with an unconcerned air.

"My dear Ted," she said, "I would not think of troubling
Vernon to entertain my friends. That is the last thing I
should wish or expect. If Sidney wants her father to go to
town with her, I should not dream of raising any objections
to it."

"The fact is," the Admiral said pleasantly, "we have

come to the conclusion that we would like a little change.
Sidney has been such a thorough housekeeper that she was
always chary of leaving her duties up to now, but she is free
from that, and Ethel and you, Ted, will be quite equal to run
the house in our absence. It is good for me to be routed out
of my quiet groove. And I think Sidney and I will get much
enjoyment out of our little jaunt together."

"I should think we would!" murmured Sidney, smiling

contentedly to herself.

It was arranged very easily. Sidney went over to see

Monica before she went, and her news was received with
much approbation.

"It's the best thing that you can do," said Monica
heartily. "I think you are all in very difficult circumstances at
present. Things will shake down, and you will be able to see
much more clearly when you return how to act for the
best."
 "Yes," Sidney replied. "But, oh, Monica, I never quite
imagined it would be as bad as it is. You see, Ethel never
loses her temper, and I think I keep mine in pretty tight
control; but my feelings and my bottled-up anger inside are
terrible! She knows how to cut, and she seems to delight in
picking out the weak points in one's armour. Dad and I have
not a corner in the house now where we can retire and be
undisturbed. Her energy is ceaseless; so is her passion for
altering furniture and every habit of our quiet household."

Monica looked distressed.

"I am afraid you will not be able to live together."

"I am certain we shall not. Well, as you say, we shall

see, and meanwhile dad and I are going to town, and it will
be enchanting! One gets the sun with the clouds, doesn't
one? They come after each other in pretty quick succession.
I don't think you're looking very well, Monnie. Tell me how
things are going with you."

"I'm having an anxious time. My right hand, as I call

him, is leaving me. He is going to set up for himself in
Canada."

"Not John Bayley?"

"Yes. Of course, I can get another man to take his

place, and I know enough myself to see that he does all
that is required, but I shall be busier than ever. John has
saved me so much."

"I think that is quite a disaster," said Sidney.

Monica laughed.
 "No, it's a set-back. I'm going through all the accounts
with John. This last year has not been a prosperous one,
but the previous ones have, and it will only mean harder
work for me till the new man has learnt my ways. There is
nothing to be anxious about, only sometimes a wave of
doubt seems to sweep over me; and when I doubt myself
and my powers, the outlook seems very black."

"I did not know that you could doubt your powers," said
Sidney, laughing.

Monica smiled, too.

"You always have thought me too self-sufficient, haven't

you? But I don't often get a fit of blues. I have quite
decided to send Chuckles to boarding-school after Easter."

"I believe that is at the bottom of your depression. You

don't like losing him. I'm sure I shall miss him on Sundays
dreadfully. And just while I am away, will you let Jockie
teach him on Sunday afternoons? It will do her good as well
as him."

"If she is willing to be saddled with him, I shall be very

glad."

After a little more talk, Sidney said good-bye and left.

She paid one more visit, and that was to Mrs. de Cressiers,
but she did not confide in her. She simply stated the fact
that she and her father were going up to town.

Mrs. de Cressiers thought it a very good plan.

"Your dear father moves about so seldom that the

change will do him good. And now, Sidney, what is this
about your handing over the reins of government to your
uncle's wife? Is that wise of you? You are not a very young
girl, and are undoubtedly the proper mistress there. I
cannot imagine why your uncle does not get a house for
himself and his wife. He must do so before long. A joint
household is always a failure."

"If it is," Sidney said quietly, "father and I mean to go

and leave them in possession."

"My dear girl, what do you mean?"

"It is something we have discovered lately—the house is

legally my uncle's. I cannot go into details. We have lived
together many years without any necessity for making this
known; in fact, we were not aware of it ourselves till lately."

"But I happen to remember and to know more than you

do, Sidney," said Mrs. de Cressiers gravely. "I remember
when your grandfather died, and when your uncle was
'sowing his wild oats,' as people say. He sent word he did
not want to take the house and would not settle down, and
then sold it to your father."

"I did not know you remembered it all," faltered Sidney.

"Well, there was no legal transaction between them, it
seems, and—"

"But your uncle is an honourable man."

"Oh, yes—yes; but please don't talk of the past or refer

to it. Mrs. Urquhart does not see it as we do; she worries
him till he begins to look at things in a different light; and
we have decided that we had better go—at least, I think we
shall do so. Nothing is absolutely settled yet."

Mrs. de Cressiers looked almost dazed.

 "I shall begin to think as hardly of her as Jockie does.
That girl is a strange mixture. Do you know she has been
coming up and playing draughts with my poor husband, and
chatting away to him so entertainingly that he quite enjoys
her visits. But, my dear Sidney, you and your father must
not leave this neighbourhood. You really must not. Why, it
will break your father's heart. He is bound up with that
house and those old guns. I shall have to go down and have
a talk with your uncle, I think."

The colour mounted in Sidney's cheeks. She raised her

head proudly.

"I hope you will do nothing of the sort. If we go, it will

be because we prefer to do it. There is no question of
expulsion."

Mrs. de Cressiers smiled, and patted Sidney on the

shoulder.

"I always like to see your de Cressiers blood come to

the fore. Go to London, my dear, and things will be different
when you return."

So Sidney and her father departed, having the sanction

of their dearest friends; and Mrs. Ted Urquhart watched
them go with a triumphant heart, for she meant to reign
supreme, and she knew that this step would further her
resolve.

CHAPTER XV
 THE GUNS

A FORTNIGHT in town soon slipped away; and then the

fortnight lengthened into a month. The Admiral and his
daughter found many old friends, and thoroughly enjoyed
themselves. They stayed at a quiet private hotel, and took
life more easily than did most of those around them. Sidney
saw a great deal of Gavine, who spent all the time she could
spare away from her work with them. She did not talk much
of her mother; it had never been her way to do so; but one
day, when she was wishing Sidney good-night, she clung to
her for a minute and whispered:

"Oh, do tell me—is it because of her that you have

come away? I can't tell you what torture it is to me to think
that we have brought trouble into your family."

"My dear Gavine, nothing has happened except that

which God has overruled. I am quite positive of this, and
you have nothing in the world to do with it. I am only too
delighted to have a holiday from housekeeping, and my
father is thoroughly enjoying himself."

"But you will never be able to stand it when you go

back. I have been through a little of it, so I know."

Sidney smiled bravely as she kissed her.

"I feel I can stand anything as long as dad and I are

together. A house, after all, is not the chief happiness in
one's life. And if we were to move into another place, it
would still be home to me."

Gavine said no more, and never referred to the subject

again.
 Spring was already showing its hand in the London
squares and parks when Sidney and her father turned their
steps homewards. As they sped through the fresh green
meadows, and noted the budding copses and woods by the
side of the railway line, the Admiral said:

"It is good to be going home, little girl. I have already

my old craving for the salt sea breeze and the sweet smell
of the country."

Sidney nodded, but could not trust herself to speak. Her

heart felt as heavy as lead. She gazed out of the carriage
window with misty eyes, and longed that the end of their
journey should come, so that her fears might either be
certainties or be proved groundless.

The hired fly was at the station to meet them, and the
stationmaster, as usual, had a little pleasant chat with the
Admiral.

"Saw the Major down here yesterday, sir. A deal of

company since you've been away."

"I wonder if the company has departed," Sidney said to

her father, as they were driving up together.

"I should hope so," her father said; then he turned to

her with his cheeriest smile. "Remember, little woman, we
have quite made up our minds that we are going home to
pack up our things and flit. We'll be a happy party till then,
I hope."

"We will try to be," said Sidney valiantly.

Mrs. Urquhart met them in the hall, and welcomed them

back in her sweet gracious way. But when the Admiral went
into his study, which—manlike—was the first room he
entered, he drew in a long breath of surprise and
consternation. It was almost entirely transformed. A whole
row of some of his choicest books had disappeared, some
old oil paintings—family portraits—had been taken away
and cheap prints hung in their places on the wall. Two big
lounge chairs and an old curiosity cabinet had gone, and
only his writing table had remained as he had left it. There
was no fire in the room, and it looked cold and dreary.
Hearing her father exclaim, Sidney stepped in after him,
and her eyes flashed with indignation.

"How dare she interfere with your room!"

"Won't you come to tea?" said Mrs. Urquhart, following

them in. "I know you won't mind, Vernon, but I took the
opportunity when you were away to make a few alterations
in your room. You see, when we have visitors it is so very
awkward to have no smoking-room apart from your study,
so with a little manipulation I have made a very cosy
smoking-room out of the lumber-room at the end of the
passage. I wanted to leave you undisturbed in your own
room, but as the Major seemed to dislike the idea of buying
new furniture for my venture, I have had to collect a few
odd bits from different rooms. I don't think I have taken
anything that you will really miss."

"My books," said the Admiral.

"I thought I had been most careful in what I chose. I

have not taken a single one with your name in it—only your
grandfather's and a few of your father's. Of course, those
are really the Major's, are they not? They went with the
house. I am longing to show you the smoking-room. It
looks so cosy! But come and have some tea first. You must
be tired with your journey."
 "Come along, dad; we will soon get things to rights,"
said Sidney brightly, linking her arm into her father's and
drawing him after her into the cheerful, firelit drawing-
room. Then, turning to the parlourmaid, she said quietly:
"Light the fire in the Admiral's study at once, Jane. It is too
cold for him to be without it."

Jane glanced at Mrs. Urquhart, and then left the room.

"I told her not to light it, Sidney, for we have one in the
new smoking-room, and I thought your father would like a
chat and smoke with the Major there to-night. Ted is
devoted to the new room."

"Uncle Ted can come into the study and smoke," said
Sidney a little shortly. "My father must always have his
room and his fire."

"Where is Ted?" asked the Admiral, sitting down by the

fire and speaking in his usual pleasant tone.

"He is in the grounds somewhere, directing the

gardeners. We are having a good many alterations, which I
hope you will consider improvements."

A little later the Major came in. He seemed nervous and

ill at ease, and made conversation in jerky tones. Sidney
saw that he was manifestly afraid of his wife, for when she
left the room for a few moments his whole manner
changed. He leant forward eagerly to Sidney:

"I hope you don't mind the changes, Sid? She's a

wonderful woman! Such energy and enterprise. But I
sometimes wish I could pull her in a bit. But you and she
together will put things straight. I don't want anything
altered myself. I hope you believe me?"
 There was a little wistfulness in his tone.

Sidney reassured him. She was her gay bright self that
evening, resolutely suppressing all the tide of anger that
rose within her, and trying with all her might to keep her
father cheerful. She did not like the look of patient
endurance upon his face, the weary dejection in his eyes.
She sang some of her old songs to him after dinner, she
related their town experiences with great animation, and
never let the conversation flag for a moment. Then, when
her father went back to his study, she went with him, and
sat down on the hearthrug, leaning her head on his knee.

"I did not think it would be so difficult," said her father

slowly.

"To leave this, dad? It won't be. We must find a nice

little house somewhere in the neighbourhood."

"They say a woman is wrapped up in her possessions,"

said her father in the same slow, grave way, "but I begin to
feel I must be getting like her. If we go, Sidney, all of it will
be new. I don't know why my heart fails me. I had hoped to
carry away my books and some of our family heirlooms—my
mother's picture amongst them, and my wife's miniature.
She evidently does not know who it is. But she is quite right
—the house, with its contents, was left to Ted. If he has it,
he has it all."

"You have me," said Sidney, trying to laugh, but a lump

rose in her throat, and a choke was in her voice.

Her father caressed her hair gently with his hand.

"Yes, my little Sid. You will never fail me. What is that
verse? 'A man's life consisteth not in what he hath.' Is that
how it goes?"
 "'A man's life consisteth not in the abundance of the
things which he possesseth,'" quoted Sidney. "But, father
dear, there are quantities of things in the house which are
really yours, and which we can take. We won't worry about
it to-night. You are looking so tired. Don't sit up late, will
you? And if you would rather stay on here, don't think of
me. I will willingly do it."

"No; it is only that I feel my age to-night. I have not the

buoyancy I had. The thought of a move into a strange
house is not a cheerful one. But I dare say I am tired with
the journey. I shall be more myself to-morrow, and we can
discuss the question then."

Sidney kissed her father passionately when she wished

him good-night. She was very near tears herself. She could
bear slights to herself, but not to her father, and when she
met Mrs. Urquhart in the hall her head was high and her
voice remote and distant in its tone.

"I shall be glad if you will return my mother's picture. It

was over the mantelpiece in the study. That does not belong
to Uncle Ted."

"Oh, I am so sorry. The picture of a young girl in white?

I thought Ted told me it was a sister who died. She is rather
like your father in face, don't you think so? You mustn't be
vexed with me, my dear Sidney, for trying to improve this
old house. It really was sadly in want of a little renovation
and change. I know old people don't like change as a rule,
but I have always found men better than women in that
respect, and I think that if you show a little of your good
sense, you will soon persuade your father to welcome my
improvements."
 "I don't think that will be necessary," said Sidney,
looking at her with quiet dignity, "for we shall not be here
much longer. My father and I are going to make ourselves
another home."

"That is very sensible of you. It is a mistake to have

amalgamated households, and quite as difficult for me as
for you. I am sure Ted will be pleased to hear of that
arrangement. Are you going to bed? Good-night."

And as she swept off to join her husband in the

smoking-room, triumph was in her eyes.

Sidney went upstairs and cried bitterly.

The next morning, when she came down to breakfast,

she heard that her father had gone out into the garden. For
a moment she thought of joining him, but did not do so, as
she knew he sometimes liked a quiet smoke before
breakfast, and the morning was a lovely one.

Major Urquhart came to the table more like his old self.

"We have missed you, Sid—haven't we, Ethel? And I

always feel a lost dog without your father. He must help me
in these new garden plans of ours. I'm always a duffer
about flower-beds and vegetables."

Sidney made some vague response. As she glanced out

of the window opposite her, she saw a flock of finches and
thrushes breakfasting off the green lawn. The lilac and
laburnums were coming into full flower, a cherry tree was
white with blossom, and the beds round the house were full
of narcissus and daffodils. Beyond the sloping lawns was the
river, edged with young larches and copper beech. What a
sweet house to leave, she thought; and then she rose from
her seat, feeling as if her food would choke her.
 "Excuse me," she said to Mrs. Urquhart; "I must go and
bring father in. He is forgetting the time."

"I don't think he slept too well," the Major said. "He was
pacing his room half the night. My room is just below his, so
I heard him."

Sidney stepped out of the French window.

"Oh," she said to herself, "how could he sleep? I believe

he will be pretty nearly broken-hearted when it comes to
leaving his old home."

She wandered round the garden walks, but nowhere

could she see her father. At length she went down to the
lower lawn, and there she stood aghast. The turf had been
cut and taken up, and the guns which had stood there for
so many years were gone! Two or three men were at work.
The old gardener was not there. Sidney knew the men—
they were labourers in the village.

"Have you seen my father?" she asked.

One of them rubbed his head rather ruefully.

"Yes, miss. The Admiral, he come down an hour ago,

and he were proper upset at this job, so he were!"

"Where is he? Where did he go?" Sidney asked

impatiently. Oh, why had she not been at hand to comfort
him! she thought.

"He went towards the shrubberies, miss, but I reckon

he's back at the house long ago."

Sidney turned off at once, and as she walked she

mechanically repeated to herself:
 "'I will trust and not be afraid. The Lord is my helper. I
will not fear what man shall do unto me.'"

The verses had formed part of her morning reading.

She wondered afterwards why they had recurred to her
mind at that juncture, as she was not conscious of actual
fear, only a longing desire to be with her father and comfort
him. The shrubberies were gloomy even on this bright
morning. She called her father by name, but there was no
response.

She was on the point of turning back when she heard

the whining of the Admiral's little terrier, and, coming out at
the end of the shrubberies, she saw the dog.

There was a rubbish heap against an old wall; half in

and half out of a ditch were the guns, and leaning against
one of them, with his arms tightly clasped round it, and his
head bowed down upon his arms, was her father. For a
moment Sidney hesitated to disturb him. This private grief
was sacred; she felt she ought not to intrude. And then a
well of seething hot anger rose within her. How dared they
go to such lengths with these family treasures! She felt as if
she could never forgive Mrs. Urquhart for such a wanton
proceeding.

"Dad dear!"

Lightly she placed her hand on her father's arm.

"Oh, dad dear, never mind; we can take them away with
us, and you will not be separated from them."

There was no movement, no response, and a sudden

ghastly fear clutched at Sidney's heart—a fear which was
realised a moment later, when she bent over her father and
took his hand in hers. The Admiral's body was guarding his
beloved guns, but his soul was beyond all earthly treasures.
At first she could not believe it. She rushed back to the
house and summoned her uncle and the servants.

"Father has fainted; he is ill! Come quick-quick!"

The Major was on the spot first, in spite of his lame leg.
He groaned when he saw his brother, and exclaimed:

"These confounded guns! I wish I'd told him last night. I

knew it would upset him!"

Carefully and tenderly the Admiral was carried into the

house and laid upon his bed. The doctor was not long in
coming, but he could do nothing—only testified that it was
sudden failure of the heart. He asked if he had been
agitated in any way. Sidney was too dazed and stunned to
reply, but Mrs. Urquhart was voluble with explanations:

"He has been a month in London, and it evidently has

been quite too much for him. He has always led such a very
quiet life that the rush and excitement and fatigue of it up
there has told upon him. I noticed how grey and drawn his
face was when he returned yesterday. I said to my husband
that it was a pity his daughter had not brought him home
before. Of course, she would have done so, poor girl, if she
had known the harm town life was doing him, but he doted
on her, and you know how thoughtless young people are
when they are enjoying themselves; they don't realise that
the old cannot keep pace with them."

Sidney heard all this as in a dream. She did not take it

in.

Dr. Lanyard, an old friend of the family, raised his

eyebrows, but the Major burst forth excitedly, and it was
the only time he ever let his feelings get the better of him:
 "It's all our doing! Oh, why was I such a fool as to give
way about it! His guns were cleared away. It was the last
straw! I found him clinging to one. I told Ethel it was a cruel
thing to do. I'll never lift up my head again!"

A choke came into his voice, and he hurried out of the

room. The doctor turned and followed him. Sidney crept
back to her father's room. She would not leave it. The blow
had been so sudden, so unexpected, that she could not
realise it was true. She knew that her father had not been
strong, but he had seemed so much brighter and more
active in town that she had had no anxieties about his
health, and had never known that his heart was at all weak.

The news spread fast. That afternoon Monica came to

the house. One of the old servants begged her to go
upstairs to Sidney.

"She's just breaking her heart, ma'am. You may be able

to get her to have some food. We've got her out of the
room at last, but she's in her own room, and won't come
out of it."

Monica went up with a heavy heart. She realised that no

earthly comfort could ease Sidney's pain, and in a strange
way the words of the parable which Chuckles was so fond of
repeating to her came into her mind:

"The rain descended, and the floods came, and the

winds blew, and beat upon that house."

"'Twill be a terrible loss to Miss Urquhart," the old

servant said, as she followed her along the corridor to
Sidney's bedroom. "Things have all been turned upside
down lately, and I for one don't wish our dear master back.
The new mistress has served him shamefully—and I gave
her notice this morning."
 Monica hardly heard the muttered words; her thoughts
were with the storm-tossed one.

"I wonder," she murmured to herself, as she tapped

gently at Sidney's door; "I wonder if the house still stands?"

Monica gained an entrance. Sidney was sitting by the

window, which was open, her Bible was upon the broad
ledge before her, and she was gazing out, the tears fast
dropping down her cheeks as she did so. She clung to
Monica when she kissed her.

"Oh, Monica, what a wonderful day this is to him! It has

seemed a year to me, but think of what he must be seeing
and hearing! Come and sit down. I don't mind you, but I
cannot go downstairs and eat food. Could you?"

Monica was tongue-tied. There was a radiance in

Sidney's face which was like a rainbow shining through rain.

"I came up here stunned," she went on softly, "and then

I took my Bible. Do you know the forty-sixth Psalm,
Monnie? 'God is our refuge and strength, a very present
help in trouble.' That seemed to steady me. And when I
came to the verse: 'God is in the midst of her; she shall not
be moved: God shall help her, and that right early,' I took
the words and applied them to myself. You can do that with
the Bible. Words seem to give messages in so many
different ways. And as I prayed about it I got my answer.
God has been raising my heart up above the world
altogether to where dad is. What does it matter about me?
He is with mother. I found his 'Daily Light' open on his
dressing table. He always read it, and the first verses he
read this morning were these:
 "'His left hand is under my head, and his right hand doth
embrace me;
Underneath are the everlasting arms.'

"And the last verse:

"'They shall never perish.'

"He went out straight into the garden after reading

those verses, and was gathered into God's arms to be
comforted. He wanted it, poor dad! It was a difficult
homecoming last night. Let me talk, Monnie; it eases me. I
had a miserable hour to-day, thinking of dad's great
sadness. Uncle Ted said he was pacing his room half the
night. If only I had known! If only I had been with him! He
was perplexed and troubled about the future. People think
that it is only women who cling to old associations, but men
do—even more. Father did! He could not make up his mind
to leave his books, his pictures, the old bits of furniture that
his father and mother had used. It was torture to him, and I
suppose when he found his guns torn up, rooted out of their
place and thrown in a ditch, that was the finishing stroke. I
won't be bitter; I won't think of the door through which he
escaped. It does not matter about the door, does it? It may
be a narrow one, and an unpleasant one to enter, but it is
so quickly passed, and the other side is so glorious!"

She paused, and again her eyes sought the blue sky
outside her window.
 Monica was silent. What could she say? She put her
hand out and took Sidney's in it. They sat for some minutes
in silence. Then Sidney turned to her, and the light still
shone in her eyes.

"Oh, Monnie, it is at times like this that you learn the

value of your faith."

When, half an hour later, Monica left the house, she

repeated the verse again that was still sounding in her ears,
but she was able to add the conclusion, for Sidney had not
disappointed her:

"'The rain descended, and the floods came,

and the winds blew, and beat upon that house;
and it fell not; for it was founded upon a rock.'"

CHAPTER XVI
LEAVING THE OLD HOME

"IT is never you!"

"Why shouldn't it be? How's the world wagging down

here?"

Jockie had been taking a walk, and had suddenly come

face to face with Austin, who, with an overcoat slung over