"That will do," replied Lionel, laughing; "you chaffed me enough about this the other night. Take heed, and remember the motto." "A motto, Miss Bloxam," said Cottrell, "the meaning of which he doth not comprehend." "Well, I flatter myself I do," replied Beauchamp; "but no matter;" and he extended his hand for the case. "One minute. For fear you should give some spurious version, I will translate it first for Miss Bloxam's benefit; a lady cannot be supposed to know the meaning of '_Loquaces si sapiat vitet_.' Listen," continued Cottrell: "the Latin is a comprehensive language, remember,--'_Si_,' if; '_sapiat_,' you are not a fool; '_vitet_,' have nothing to say to; '_loquaces_,' ladies' commissions. A wickedly cynical saying to have broidered on one's case, even if you _have_ found ladies' commissions troublesome and productive of much inconvenience. But, dear me! Lady Mary is signalling me. I must go and see what it is she wants. Try if you can make him disclose the story of that case, and who it was that commanded him to spell Lionel with a 'J,' and not chatter about it afterwards. I plead guilty to a most horrible curiosity on that point." And so saying, Mr. Cottrell dropped the cigar-case into Blanche's lap, and crossed the deck in obedience to Lady Mary's apocryphal signal. Blanche knew now that her presentiment was fulfilled--that the crisis had arrived; and that the next two or three minutes would decide whether she and Lionel Beauchamp were to be all in all to each other, or go their respective ways. Be that as it might, on one point she must absolve herself in his eyes. With somewhat tremulous tones, she hurriedly exclaimed, as she handed the cigar-case back to Lionel, "I have unwittingly discovered, Mr. Beauchamp, what you refused to tell me some little time ago at Hurlingham; and I hope you believe me when I say that I have never taken any steps to do so; nor, indeed, has any allusion to it passed my lips since." "How Mr. Cottrell comes by his knowledge, I cannot say. I think he must possess a 'familiar' of some sort; but one thing, Miss Bloxam, I own, puzzles me. Why should you make such a point of my telling you what Sylla's commission was? I cannot understand it." "And I cannot tell you. Surely the caprice of my sex is quite enough to account for it." Apparently Lionel Beauchamp did not think so; and seating himself by Miss Bloxam's side, he proceeded to inquire into this instance of a woman's whimsies with great earnestness of purpose.