As he spoke his lips sought hers, and with a sigh of content, and a sweet smile lighting up her gentle face, Hester's arms clasped his neck, and she nestled closer to his breast. STORY ONE, CHAPTER FIVE. A WAKING DREAM. The next day, after a long and busy discussion, in which Laure took eager interest, and during which plans were made as to stores, arms for protection against the Indians of the coast they were to visit, lifting and diving apparatus, and the like, the Cuban was installed at the cottage, and that first night Dutch saw again upon his face that intense admiration the dark, warm-blooded Southerner felt for the fair young English girl. For girl she still was, with a girl's ways, prettily mingled with her attempts to play the part of mistress of her own house. The young husband felt a pang of jealous misery await him as he sat back in the shade of his prettily-furnished drawing-room, seeing their visitor hover about the piano while Hester sang, paying endless attentions with the polish and courtesy of a foreigner, various little refined acts--such as would never have occurred to the bluff young Englishman. "I'm a jealous fool--that's what I am," said Dutch to himself; "and if I go on like this I shall be wretched all the time he is here. I won't have it--I won't believe it. She is beautiful--God bless her! and no man could see her without admiring her. I ought to be proud of his admiration instead of letting it annoy me; for, of course, it's his foreign way of showing it. An Englishman would be very different; but what right have I to fancy for a moment that this foreign gentleman, my guest, would harbour a thought that was not honourable to me? There, it's all gone." He brightened up directly; and as, with a pleasant smile, Laure came to him soon afterwards and challenged him to a game of chess, the evening passed pleasantly away. The days glided on rapidly enough, with Dutch Pugh always repeating to himself the stern reproof that he was unjust to his guest and to his young wife to allow a single thought of ill to enter his heart; and to keep these fancies away he worked harder than ever at the preparations for the voyage, being fain, though, to confess that one thing that urged him on was the desire to be rid of his guest. "I don't think much of these furren fellows," said Rasp, one day, when, after a shorter stay than usual at the offices, Laure had effusively pressed Dutch's hand and gone back to the cottage. "How does Mrs Pug like him?" Dutch started, but said, quietly-- "Suppose we get on with the packing of that air-pump, Rasp. You had better get in a couple of the men." "All right," grumbled the old fellow; "I wasn't going to leave it undone; but if I was a married man with a 'ansum wife, 'ang me if I should care about having a smooth-tongued, dark-eyed, scented foreign monkey of a chap like that at my house."