"Then allow me to assure you, Mr. Roscoria, that the admiral did _not_. My cousin, Lyndis Villiers, is his niece and guest merely; it is I who am his ward since my father died in a naval engagement. He has made a very natural mistake. Lyndis is supposed to be out of the question, being engaged to marry a former pupil of yours--Mr. Eric Rodda. The admiral of course assumed that you meant me when you made your extraordinary request. I may mention that I thought it odd at the time." "Oh, Lord! oh, Lord! I am punished this time!" groaned Roscoria, and, without even keeping up a pretense of ceremony, he sank on the table and sat there, rocking himself backward and forward. Rosetta laughed as one who had lost a load of care. She was now free to rejoice at the misfortunes of another, and for the first moment could not resist doing so. She stood opposite Roscoria and laughed at him and his discomfiture, like the child she really was. "Not that I mean the least disrespect to you, my dear Miss _Villiers_," apologized Roscoria, out of the depths of his lamentations; "if only, like my predecessor Jacob when in a similar predicament, I could take _both_, how glad, how thankful I should be! But as it is, dear Miss Villiers, your cousin is so much to me--and--I thought I had got her!--in short, I know you will excuse me." "Excuse you? Why, I am so thankful myself!" breathed out Rosetta. "Thanks: it is very kind of you to say so. It makes it much easier for me," sighed Roscoria, gratefully. At that moment enter the admiral, walking sideways and fumbling with the door-handle as one who fears to interrupt a _tete-a-tete_. Roscoria came forward in penitent guise, and began to explain the unlucky mistake that had arisen, and how it was Miss _Lyndis_ Villiers toward whom his heart had yearned. The admiral snorted. His temper arose. Both the young people knew they were in for it. Sir John Villiers withered them both with his sea-faring eye. "Goodness gracious!" exclaimed Roscoria, also a little irritably. "If I tear up that paper, and leave you in possession of that bit of land, and say no more of my marriage in connection with it, but try to gain Miss _Lyndis_ Villiers as a separate undertaking, I suppose it will be all right?" "Rosetta Villiers is an heiress, so if she pleases to throw herself away on a poor school master--he's no worse than the good-for-nothing military men who generally get the heiress--but Lyndis Villiers has not a penny, and I owe it to my second brother's memory to see that his orphaned child does not marry any impecunious young gentleman. Besides, she is suitably affianced to Mr. Rodda's eldest son. She is, therefore, out of the question." "For the moment let us assume it," said Roscoria (who, we remember, was better informed); "but in that case, naturally, Miss Rosetta Villiers is free." A very gentlemanly young man! thought Rosetta approvingly.