"He probably thinks we've taken a boat and eloped Shall I rap and see?" came in Veath's free voice. "Please--and we'll tell him where we have been." "You will like thunder!" hissed Hugh to himself, glaring at the door as if he could demolish it. Then came a vigorous pounding on the panel; but he made no move to respond. Again the knocking and a smile, not of mirth, overspread his face. "Knock! Confound you! You can't get in!" he growled softly but triumphantly. Veath tried the knob, but the door was locked. "He's not in, Miss Ridge. I'll see if I can find him. Good-by--see you at luncheon." Then came Grace's voice, sweet and untroubled: "Tell him we'll go over the ship another time with _him_." "Over the ship," growled Hugh almost loud enough to be heard. "So they're going to square it by taking brother with them another time--eh? Well, not if I know it! I'll show her what's what!" A minute later he rapped at Miss Vernon's stateroom. She was removing her hat before the mirror, and turning quickly as the irate Hugh entered, she cried: "Hello, Hugh! Where have you been, dear?" "Dear! Don't call me dear," he rasped. "Why, Hugh, dear,--Mr. Veath looked everywhere for you this morning. I said I would not go unless he could find you. You would have enjoyed it so much." "And you really wanted me?" he asked guiltily. "Of course, I did--we both did. Won't you ever understand that I love you--and you alone?" "I guess I'll never understand love at all," he mused. "Now where were you all morning?" she demanded. "He didn't look in the right place, that's all." "Where was the right place?" "It happened to be in the wrong place," he said. He had been playing a social game of bridge in the room of one of the passengers. At this moment Veath was heard at the door. Hugh heartily called out to him, bidding him to enter. "Why, here you are! Been looking everywhere for you, old man. Sorry you were not along this morning," said the newcomer, shaking Ridgeway's hand. "I didn't care to see the ship," said Hugh hastily. "Why, how funny!" cried Grace. "How did you know we had been over the ship?" "Instinct," he managed to gulp in the confusion. Veath started for the dining-room, followed by Grace and Hugh, the latter refraining from mentioning that he had already lunched--insufficiently though it had been; but with the return of reason had come back his appetite and gradually he felt the old happiness sifting into his heart. CHAPTER VIII THE BEAUTIFUL STRANGER