Little more passed between us. I advised her to come often on deck, and mingle with the passengers; and told her that, when she pleased, I should be glad to do any service that lay in my power. Her last words were that, after we put into Aden, she would possibly take me at my word. After she had gone, I found myself wondering at my presentiment that Aden was to be associated with critical points in the history of some of us; and from that moment I began to connect Justine Caron with certain events which, I felt sure, were marshalling to an unhappy conclusion. I wondered, too, what part I should play in the development of the comedy, tragedy, or whatever it was to be. In this connection I thought of Belle Treherne, and of how I should appear in her eyes if that little scene with Mrs. Falchion, now always staring me in the face, were rehearsed before her. I came quickly to my feet, with a half-imprecation at myself; and a verse of a crude sea-song was in my ears: “You can batten down cargo, live and dead, But you can’t put memory out of sight; You can paint the full sails overhead, But you can’t make a black deed white....” Angry, I said to myself: “It wasn’t a black deed; it was foolish, it was infatuation, it was not right, but it is common to shipboard; and I lost my head, that was all.” Some time later I was still at work in the dispensary, when I heard Mr. Treherne’s voice calling to me from outside. I drew back the curtain. He was leaning on his daughter’s arm, while in one hand he carried a stick. “Ah, Doctor, Doctor,” cried he, “my old enemy, sciatica, has me in its grip, and why, in this warm climate, I can’t understand. I’m afraid I shall have to heave-to, like the ‘Fulvia’, and lay up for repairs. And, by the way, I’m glad we are on our course again.” He entered, and sat down. Belle Treherne bowed to me gravely, and smiled slightly. The smile was not peculiarly hospitable. I knew perfectly well that to convince her of the reality of my growing admiration for her would be no easy task; but I was determined to base my new religion of the affections upon unassailable canons, and I felt that now I could do best by waiting and proving myself.