‘Alice has encouraged you to speak to me, Captain Lovell? But she considers herself engaged to be married to Mr Vernon Blythe. It is not a match I could ever approve of, because the young man has no settled income, but they were much thrown together at Southsea, and settled the matter between themselves without consulting me. I had no idea that she had changed her mind. Are you _quite_ sure you are following her wishes in joining her name to your own?’ ‘I can only tell you that I asked her permission to address you on this subject ten minutes ago, and that she gave it me most graciously. The fact is, Mrs Leyton, Alice has often spoken to me of her half-engagement to Mr Blythe with deep regret. She declares nothing will induce her to marry him, and that--God bless her!--she has every intention of marrying _me_, subject (of course) to the consent of her parents.’ ‘Well, I really can’t understand her, and I must decline to have anything to do with the matter,’ replied Mrs Leyton, lying back again upon her pillows. ‘I really don’t know what the girls are made of now-a-days. The scenes Alice subjected me to when she first fell in love with young Blythe were beyond conception. She was going to die, or go mad, straight off, if she couldn’t be engaged to him. And so, to quiet her, I gave a sort of reluctant consent. But I confess I hadn’t the least idea the young man would come out in the same ship with us. And now it seems she’s in love with _you_. And what excuse does she intend to offer Mr Blythe for her conduct?’ ‘I think Miss Leyton hopes that _you_ may be persuaded to manage so delicate a matter for her, and let the young gentleman know that she desires to be released from her engagement to him,’ said Captain Lovell sheepishly. ‘I shall do no such thing, sir. Alice must conduct her love affairs herself. Such a task would be altogether too much for my nerves; for though I do not consider Vernon Blythe an eligible suitor for my daughter, I like the young fellow excessively. So if his affections and his pride are to be wounded through my daughter, she can do it herself. I refuse to open my lips to him, and I must say I think he has been treated very badly.’ ‘My dear Mrs Leyton, do make some allowance for Alice’s feelings. Our hearts are not completely under our own control, remember. Love is not to be coerced, like any baser passion.’ ‘Well, I hope you’ll bear that in mind, Captain Lovell, if you should ever be my daughter’s husband, and catch her flirting with some other man. And don’t make too sure she’ll stick to you. A girl that changes once may change twice. And I don’t know that Mr Leyton will accept your offer for her more than the other. He’s got no romance about him, and looks high for his daughter.’ ‘He could not look _too_ high for such a pearl as Alice. I shall like him all the better for that,’ replied Captain Lovell. ‘But won’t you be persuaded to break the news to Mr Blythe for us?’