‘Then you cannot know what your intentions are, and consequently must be a very dangerous acquaintance. He can’t get out of it any way, can he, Miss Leyton?’ ‘I think most people would find it loss of time to cross swords with you, Miss Vere,’ said Alice. ‘Indeed I am a very peaceable person by nature. But some things put one on one’s metal; and you must understand, Captain Lovell, that the last person I care to talk about, is myself.’ ‘Which makes you so unlike other women, that the first person we all want to talk about is _you_. Ah! Miss Vere, you must not be so hard upon me. I have seen you play at the “Star” Theatre dozens of times, and left my heart behind me on every occasion.’ ‘Dear me! what a number of hearts you must possess. You are quite a natural curiosity. I hope you did not part with your brains at the same time.’ ‘You think I have none to spare, I suppose?’ ‘Not quite that, but we shall want all we can scrape together, to make this long voyage pass pleasantly. Have you mapped out any plan of employment for the next three months, Miss Leyton?’ Alice blushed most becomingly. ‘I haven’t thought of it yet. I suppose when we shake down, we shall have plenty of music and dancing, and--’ ‘Flirtation,’ continued Miss Vere. ‘Well, a little of that, too, I suppose.’ ‘A great deal, I hope,’ amended the captain; ‘life would be worth very little without it.’ ‘Yes! when it’s legitimate, it’s very nice,’ said Miss Vere; ‘but, for my part, I mean to flirt with my books. I have promised myself a long course of study before we arrive at Lyttleton.’ ‘Oh, look, Miss Vere,’ cried Alice, ‘they are slipping the warp! I believe we are really going at last. Are we off, Jack?’ she asked excitedly of Vernon Blythe, who passed them at that moment. He only gave her a nod and a smile in answer, but the action did not pass unperceived by Captain Lovell. However, he made no comment on it then. ‘It’s about time we _were_ off,’ he grumbled; ‘they’ve been three hours shipping those confounded kegs of gunpowder.’ ‘That are to blow us all up,’ said Alice merrily. As the _Pandora_ moved statelily down the river, a cold wind began to blow over the water, that drove the ladies to the shelter of the saloon, and left the gentlemen in possession of the deck and the smoking-room.