From the first day Tom Virtue had exerted himself to play the part of host satisfactorily, and had ere long shaken off any shyness he may have felt towards the one stranger of the party, and he and Miss Graham had speedily got on friendly terms.

So things were going on as well as Mrs.Grantham could have expected.
No sooner had his guests left the side of the yacht than her owner began to make his preparations for a start.
"What do you think of the weather, Watkins ?" he asked his skipper.
"It's going to blow hard, sir; that's my view of it, and if I was you I shouldn't up anchor today.

Still, it's just as you likes; the Seabird won't mind it if we don't.

She has had a rough time of it before now; still, it will be a case of wet jackets, and no mistake." "Yes, I expect we shall have a rough time of it, Watkins, but I want to get across.

We don't often let ourselves be weather bound, and I am not going to begin it today.