"Indeed I am, of the large ones," he said at a venture. He fancied that he felt a gentle pressure of sympathetic approval. She glanced up for an instant and her eyes transfixed him. They were a deep wonderful blue, almost black at the pupil, then raying off a little lighter. It made him think of a star in the winter midnight sky with a halo around it. The lashes were long and nearly black. Otherwise she had little claim to beauty just then. Her complexion had a tawny hue made by sun and wind, her hair was light, but it had a peculiar sunburned tint, though it was fine and abundant and hung in loose curls about her shoulders. Her nose was the only Leverett feature--it was straight, rather small, and had the flexibility that betrayed passing emotions. The Leverett lips were thin, hers were full in the middle, giving a certain roundness to the mouth. "Are there any where you live?" hesitatingly. "Any?" Then he recalled the subject they had touched upon. "Oh, no; you seldom see them, and they are mostly harmless." "Have you any little girls in your house?" "No, I am sorry to say." "There were two little English girls on shipboard at first. They went on board another vessel after a while. I liked them very much. They knew a great many things about countries. I can read, but I don't a great deal. Sometimes father would tell me about America. There are a great many countries in it, and once they had a big war. They had wars, too, in India. Why must people kill each other?" "There seem to be reasons. A little girl could not understand them all, I think;" and how could he explain them? "Oh, there is Captain Corwin!" She flew across the cabin with outstretched arms, which she clasped about him. "Well, have you been getting acquainted with--he will be your uncle, I suppose. What title are you going to take with the child, Mr. Leverett?" Chilian Leverett colored, without a cause he thought, and it annoyed him. "Are you going back to India to-day?" She was not interested in Chilian Leverett's answer. Captain Corwin laughed heartily and patted her shoulder. "Not to-day, nor even next week. The cargo will have to be taken off, little missy, and a new one stowed away. And I fancy there must be some repairs. I shall stay in town and run down to Marblehead. So you will see me quite often." "And you are coming back again from India?" "Oh, I hope so. More than once." "You will bring father then. It is such a long while to wait;" and she sighed. The men exchanged glances. "I want to see him so much. Couldn't I go back with you?" "Don't you remember I told you the other evening he might start before I reached India again? Don't you want to go ashore and see Salem? Ask Miss Rachel to get you ready." Rachel was beckoning to her. "Let us go up on deck," she said. "It's a strange country to me as well as to you. And I fancy the men want to talk." She crossed the cabin slowly, not quite certain what she did desire most, except to see her father.