"Congratulations, sir, over your success. A miss is as good as a mile, they say," he declared. "Ah!" remarked the satisfied lover, "in this case it is a senorita, and she is worth many miles. My thanks are due to you, captain, for the able assistance given. May all our future plans be founded on as firm a basis." "Amen," said Beven, solemnly. He was thinking of that basket of very Extra Dry, and the taste still lingered as though its memory would haunt him for many a day. For once he stood ready to immolate his comfort on the altar of friendship every night, providing the emolument came in such pleasant fashion. They chatted a short time, and generally upon the subject mostly in evidence. Beven was naturally curious to hear how the Adonis, who was no milk and water warrior himself, came to take such a fearful plunge into the bay. He could give a shrewd guess that the act had not been a voluntary one on his part, and desired to hear what share Roderic had in it. This was soon told in the most matter of fact fashion by the modest young man--indeed, one might almost imagine from his manner of putting it that Jerome had fallen overboard instead of being tossed there. Beven knew how to put his own construction on the incident, and could guess just what his principal had done. Roderic was really unfitted for sleep after such an hour of intense excitement, and thought he would walk the quarterdeck for a time until his pipe had soothed the excited nerves and brought him to a condition where slumber might be possible. He had not been back and forth a dozen times ere a girlish figure joined him. Of course it was Cousin Cleo, who desired to share his walk and mayhap his confidence, even though what he might relate would cut keenly. The moth will persist in fluttering about the bright flame of the candle even after its wings are slightly singed. Silly moth--wicked candle! And yet the world goes on, new moths come and the same old story with variations, is repeated. Roderic professed to be displeased at the idea of Cleo coming up to join him in this midnight tramp. Secretly the man was delighted, for he felt the human desire to confide his hopes and fears in a sympathetic ear, and though he would rather it had been some one else than Cleo, still, she knew much of his love affairs, and had promised to be a sister to him--he would be egotistical and foolish to ever believe that she cared for him other than a dear sister might. "My dear cousin, why do you come on deck--don't you know that at this hour in this semi-tropical climate the dew is falling, and it is very unhealthy for one to be exposed to the night air?" She laughed in his face.