"I understand. Never mind that. You said that Sempland had never done anything to distinguish himself. Well, he's going to do it to-night." "What is he going to do?" asked the girl, all the listlessness instantly going out of her manner. "He is going to take out the _David_." "Yes?" "And blow up the _Wabash_." Her hand went to her heart. Her face turned whiter than the frock she wore. "My God!" she whispered, "Admiral Vernon's ship!" "She loves him! She loves him!" flashed into Lacy's mind, and for the moment he suffered agonies of jealous pain. "But," continued the girl, "why should they--" "In the first place," went on Lacy, "if the venture succeeds, we sink a noble ship and put out of the way a most determined enemy, and we hope to let the blockaded cotton ships get to sea." "But the _David_!" said the girl, who knew the sinister story of the crazy submarine torpedo boat as did every one in Charleston. "It is sure death!" "It is dangerous," said Lacy, softly, "but General Beauregard has ordered Sempland to keep her on the surface. That ought to give them a chance. Glassell escaped, you remember, when he tried the _New Ironsides_." "He will be killed! He will be killed!" she cried piteously, "and--Admiral Vernon!" "What is the Yankee admiral to you, to any of us?" Lacy asked, curiously interested to know the meaning of her remark. "Why do you tell me of all this?" she asked, failing to notice his question in her anxiety and alarm. "Because I want you to know Sempland as the hero he is, and because--forgive my frankness--I believe that you love him. So I want him to hear you say it before he goes out. It will double his chances of escape if he has your love to think of. You will inspire him to come back. As it is now, I am afraid he does not especially care to. He's too good a man to lose, if we--if you--can save him, Miss Fanny." "And this man abused you to me this afternoon!" murmured the girl. "He said what was true. I honor him for it. I love you, Miss Fanny. I am proving it to you now as I proved it to him when I gave him my place at his earnest entreaty. The detail was mine." "Why did you do it?" "For his sake, for yours. It's his solitary chance. I've had so many, you know." "And he is going to blow up the _Wabash_, the admiral's ship, did you say?" "Yes, if he can." Fanny Glen was a picture of terror plainly apparent in spite of her valiant effort to conceal her feelings. Her agitation was so overwhelming, her anxiety so pronounced, that even on the hypothesis of an ardent affection for Sempland, Lacy was completely at loss to account for her condition. What could it mean? But he had no time to speculate upon it. The minutes were flying by. "Come, Miss Glen," he said at last, "it isn't so bad as all that." "But those men on the ship, the--the admiral! They won't have a chance for their lives. It is appalling to think of! I cannot bear it! I--"