"Don't," prayed the lover, with an imploring gaze at his goddess. "Say something cheering, for--eh! it _was_ warm in there." Lyndis nodded her beautiful head sagaciously, passed her hand over Roscoria's forehead, smoothing it, and smiled to herself to see how his countenance cleared under the comfort. "Dear one, to me you are an Immortal," he said, reflectively; "but--if you _have_ an age, what might it be?" "That will not do," said Lyndis; "a minor I am, and a minor I fear I shall remain for a year or two more. But if you will wait----" Louis threw out his arms with a gesture of impatience. "I had rather run away with you at once," he said. "Let us elope." "Mr. Roscoria, what a very rash idea!" "Should you refuse, if I asked you?" "I hope so," said Lyndis, thereby giving her lover much hope. "And now, as I am really angry with you, you may go." "Yes, goddess; but I will hear thee again on this matter. May I----" Lyndis did not expressly say he might not, so he did--that is to say, he kissed the golden head that was resting on his rough coat, from whence it was raised with tumbled bright hair spread abroad like the rays of the sun. Tregurtha and Rosetta meantime had been looking over a hedge, commenting on scenery, the weather, and the crops. Rosetta was a born farmer. The sailor asked her tentatively: "Did you agree to this plan of marrying my friend Roscoria?" "I did," said the maiden, brightly. "But surely you scarcely knew him well enough to love him? There must have been a strong elective affinity--or, bless me! I can't account for it." "Love him! I never had spoken to him," laughed Rosetta. "You would not have given him your hand without your heart?" persisted Tregurtha, with a strange, pained look, which, alas! she did not understand. "Why, yes. If I had added my heart, think how great the sacrifice would have been. As it was, it was _very_ amusing." Rosetta laughed again, at Roscoria this time, who came up to apologize for the awkward position in which he had stupidly placed her. "Never mind, Mr. Roscoria," answered she. "I love adventures, and I owe this one to you. Only next time you ask for Miss _Lyndis_ Villiers, let me advise you--'_see that you get her_.'" VIII. THE GIRL I LEFT BEHIND ME. For a fortnight after this failed attempt Roscoria beat his brains in vain to hit on a method of squaring the admiral. He was debarred from any sight of Lyndis herself, for Sir John, cleverly enough, had spirited the goddess off to her mother in London, so that her lover might chafe in the chains of his exacting profession until perhaps, being unable to follow, he might cease to love her.