Each of the three was a careful and experienced observer, but there are certain conditional influences to be taken into account in arriving at a correct conclusion as to the motives of speech or action of every human subject under observation; and the reason that these careful analysts of motives were so utterly astray in tracing to its source the remissness of Miss Gerald, was probably because none of the three was aware of the existence of an important factor necessary for the solution of the interesting problem they had worked out so airily; this factor being the sudden appearance of Standish Macnamara beside the girl in the morning, and her consequent reflections upon the circumstance in the evening. But as she sat alone in her cabin, seeing through the port the effect of the silver moonlight upon the ridge of the hill behind which the moon itself had now sunk, she was wondering, as she had often wondered during the day, if indeed it was Standish whom she had seen and whose voice she had heard. All had been so sudden--so impossible, she thought, that the sight of him and the hearing of his voice seemed to her but as the memories of a dream of her home. But now that she was alone and capable of reflecting upon the matter, she felt that she had not been deceived. By some means the young man to whom she had written her last letter in Ireland was aboard the steamer. It was very wonderful to the girl to reflect upon this; but then she thought if he was aboard, why should she not be able to find him and ask him all about himself? CHAPTER XIII. Providence Should have kept short, restrained, and out of haunt This mad young man... His very madness, like some ore Among a mineral of metals base, Shows itself pure. Pity me not, but lend thy serious hearing To what I shall unfold. It is common for the younger sort To lack discretion. _Queen_.... Whereon do you look? _Hamlet_. On him, on him! look you, how pale he glares. ... It is not madness That I have uttered: bring me to the test.--_Hamlet_