"One of the twin stowaways, she does not know which. I have ironed them both in the 'tween deck; but they accuse each other." "Brotherly love with a vengeance!" I commented. "But I cannot see how either could have done it." "My daughter saw one of them at the window. Here she is." Mabel, her glorious hair disheveled, her face pale and drawn, her eyes tear stained, pushed into the room, and incontinently fell into my arms, her own around my neck. "Oh, it's over!" she said brokenly. "It's over at last--and the strain, and the worry! I could not have stood it much longer! I knew last night that I couldn't; but you wouldn't let me speak!" "Mabel, Mabel!" said her father. "Steady yourself, my girl!" "Papa, go away!" she said. "I want to talk with Mr. Rogers, and you could not understand--you haven't understood, at all." He paused a moment; but she straightened herself before him and pointed to the door. He left us together. "And you did not understand, either," she said, turning to me. "You thought I enjoyed his conversation, and his society, and his maddening attentions. Why couldn't you see? It was only to quiet him, to flatter his insufferable vanity, and keep him from further assault upon you. I knew--I knew by your face that first day out that you would kill him if he struck you again; and then--then the consequences! You had warned him, threatened, and nothing would have saved you. They would have hanged you--and what should I have done then?" "And you did this for me, Mabel? Do you really care for me?" "Since I first saw you," she said, her face flaming with color. "I should not tell you now," she added, "only for what has happened; for I heard your opinion of me that same evening." "Then you also heard, Mabel," I said, as I took her again in my arms, "that I have loved you, and waited for you, since you were a child." "Yes," she answered simply. "Perhaps, after all, that is why I am telling you now. I might have told you last night, and followed you down to the main deck; but when I looked in you were busy, and I went to the lee steps to go back and wait for you. Then I saw him at the window, and--and I heard--and screamed. I must have fainted, and when I wakened a little while ago Papa told me you had killed him--and I knew better." "God love you, Mabel!" I said. "But what roused you last night--to tell me--to follow me?" "What he threatened after you had warned him again. He purposed to strike you again on the first pretext, and allow you to attempt his life; then to have you imprisoned for murderous assault. He did not believe you would actually kill him; but I knew you would. I wanted to beg you not to try, to be patient, to hold your temper." "Had you asked me that, Mabel," I said, "I think I should."