Faircloth lifted his head and looked at her, his face keen, brilliant with a far from ignoble emotion. "It is not, and never will be possible--so I fancy"--he said, "to care too much about you." And he fell into contemplation of the glowing logs again. But Damaris, seeing his transfigured countenance, hearing his rejoinder, penetrated, moreover, by the conviction of his entire sincerity, felt the weight of a certain golden crown more than ever heavy upon her devoted young head. She stepped aside, groping with outstretched hands behind her until she found and held on to the arm of the big sofa stationed at right angles to the hearth. And she waited, morally taking breath, to slip presently on to the wide low seat of it and lean thankfully against its solidly cushioned back for support. "Neither for you, or for my ship"--Faircloth went on, speaking, as it seemed, more to himself than to his now pale companion. "I dare couple you and her together, though she is no longer in the dew of her youth. Oh! I can't defend her looks, poor dear. She has seen service. Is only a battered, travel-weary old couple-of-thousand-ton cargo boat, which has hugged and nuzzled the foul-smelling quays of half the seaports of southern Europe and Asia. All the same--next to you--she's the best and finest thing life, up to now, has brought me, and I love her.--My affection for her, though," he went on, "is safe to be transitory. She is safe to have rivals and successors in plenty--unless, of course, by some ugly turn of luck, she and I go to the bottom in company." Faircloth broke off. A little sound, a little gesture of protest and distress, making him straighten himself up and turn quickly, his eyes alight with enquiry and laughter. "May I take that to mean I'm not quite alone in my caring," he asked; "but that you, Damaris, care, perhaps, just a trifling amount too?" He went across to the sofa, sat down sideways, laying his right arm along the back of it, and placing his left hand--inscribed with the fanciful device--over the girl's two hands clasped in her lap. The strong, lean fingers exercised a quiet, steady pressure, for a minute. After which he leaned back, no longer attempting to touch her, studiously indeed keeping his distance, while he said: