"I wonder you didn't see the likeness," the girl said demurely. "My aunt considers there is a great likeness between us." "I am sure I cannot see it the least bit in the world," Ralph said emphatically; "not the smallest. But I hope you forgive me for that unfortunate remark; but the fact is, I felt a little bewildered at the time. I am not much of a dancer, and your aunt is really so energetic that I had to exert myself to the utmost to keep up with her." "I think you did admirably, Mr. Conway. We quite admired you both. There," she said laughing at Ralph's confusion, "you need not be afraid about my not forgiving you for the remark. Everyone knows that Aunt Tabitha and we girls never get on very well together; and she does make herself dreadfully ridiculous, and I think it was too bad of Captain O'Connor putting you up with her." "Thank you, Miss Regan," Ralph said earnestly. "The fact is I haven't joined long, and I don't care much for parties. You see, I have only left school a few months, and haven't got accustomed to talk to ladies yet; and O'Connor--who is always up to some fun or other--did it just to cure what he calls my shyness. However, I can quite forgive him now." "I don't think you are so very shy, Mr. Conway," Miss Regan said with a smile. "That last sentence was very pretty, and if I had not hold of your arm I should make you a courtesy." "No, please don't do that," Ralph said, coloring hotly. "I didn't mean anything, you know." "Now, don't spoil it. You meant I suppose, what was quite proper you should mean, that Captain O'Connor by introducing me to you had made up for his last delinquency." "Yes, that is what I did mean," Ralph agreed. "Captain O'Connor tells me that you have been through all sorts of adventures, Mr. Conway--been carried off by a French privateer, and taken to a pirate island, and done all sorts of things." "The 'all sorts of things' did not amount to much, Miss Regan. I made myself as useful as I could, and picked up French; and at last when the privateer sailed away I walked down to the shore and met our sailors when they landed. There was, I can assure you, nothing in any way heroic about the part I had to play." "Still it was an adventure." "Oh! yes, it was that; and upon the whole I think I liked it, except when there was a chance of having a fight with our own people." "That would have been dreadful. What would you have done?" "Well, I certainly wouldn't have fought; but what I should have done would, I suppose, have depended upon circumstances. I suppose I should have jumped overboard if I had the chance." "And is it true what Captain O'Connor was saying, that you had to do like the other pirates on the island?" "I don't know that there was anything particular they did, except to get drunk, and I didn't do that." "He hinted that the rule was that each man had to take a wife from the people they captured."