bay, to the rhythm of the oars, he wished either that the sisters would leave Naples or that his confounded commodore would send for him. When Kate returned from her errand, ten minutes later, Milly told her of the captain’s visit, and added that she had never seen anything so sudden as the way he left her. “He would n’t wait for you, my dear, and he said he thought it more than likely that he should never see us again. It is as if he thought you were going to die too!” “Is his ship called away?” Kate Theory asked. “He did n’t tell me so; he said we should be so busy with Percival and Agnes.” “He has got tired of us,--that’s all. There’s nothing wonderful in that; I knew he would.” Mildred said nothing for a moment; she was watching her sister, who was very attentively arranging some flowers. “Yes, of course, we are very dull, and he is like everybody else.” “I thought you thought he was so wonderful,” said Kate, “and so fond of us.” “So he is; I am surer of that than ever. That’s why he went away so abruptly.” Kate looked at her sister now. “I don’t understand.” “Neither do I, darling. But you will, one of these days.” “How if he never comes back?” “Oh, he will--after a while--when I am gone. Then he will explain; that, at least, is clear to me.” “My poor precious, as if I cared!” Kate Theory exclaimed, smiling as she distributed her flowers. She carried them to the window, to place them near her sister, and here she paused a moment, her eye caught by an object, far out in the bay, with which she was not unfamiliar. Mildred noticed its momentary look, and followed its direction. “It’s the captain’s gig going back to the ship,” Milly said. “It’s so still one can almost hear the oars.” Kate Theory turned away, with a sudden, strange violence, a movement and exclamation which, the very next minute, as she became conscious of what she had said,--and, still more, of what she felt--smote her own heart (as it flushed her face) with surprise, and with the force of a revelation: “I wish it would sink him to the bottom of the sea!” Her sister stared, then caught her by the dress, as she passed from her, drawing her back with a weak hand. “Oh, my dearest, my poorest!” And she pulled Kate down and down toward her, so that the girl had nothing for it but to sink on her knees and bury her face in Mildred’s lap. If that ingenious invalid did not know everything now, she knew a great deal. PART III. V.