She dragged her hand away from mine, and her eyes flashed fire. “You all hate him!” she cried; “but I have chosen him before all the world. Papa said I must choose, and I have chosen. I am going to Basil Roscoe!” And before I could speak another word she had darted out of the door, all on fire, and desperate, as one might say, and was gone. I knew it would be of no use speaking to the captain. Since he had as good as turned the poor innocent creature out of house and home, he was not the one to go to for help. When he was cooler he would see his mistake, and repent it bitter enough; but just now to go to him would only make him madder than ever. Well, just at that very minute in come Master Lionel. There might have been some sort of a fate in it. He jumps up them stone steps, two at a time, and bangs at that open front door, clean out of breath, and looking wonderful like his sister, in his excitement. “Where’s Rose gone to, Rabbett?” he says. “I have just seen her walking fast—almost running—down the street, and she would not stop for me. What has been the matter?” I ups and tells him. I weren’t afeard of doing it. I knew him to be that there ready and brave and affectionate. “Rabbett,” he said, in a jiffy, “come along with me.” “Master Lionel,” I asks, “where to?” For the fact were my head weren’t as clear as his, and I were a bit bothered as to what would be the best thing to be done first. “I am going to Captain Roscoe’s lodgings,” he answers, as steady as you please. And so, if you’ll believe me, off we goes, out into the street, him a-keeping step beautiful, as he always did, but not saying a word until at last I speak to him. “Master Lionel,” I says, “what are you thinking about?” “I am thinking,” he answers, his dark eyes shining, “about what I am going to say to Roscoe.” But it weren’t so easy to find Roscoe. We did not know exactly where his lodgings were, and so we had to inquire in first one place and then another. The people we fancied could tell us knew nothing definite, when we went to them; and when we got the name of the street, it were hard to find. But we did find it at last, after a great deal of trouble and a great deal of delay, which was worse. The delay was what upset us, for both of us felt pretty certain that Captain Basil Roscoe would lose very little time in getting Miss Rose away out of the reach of her friends, if he once found her willing to go with him. By the time we reached the end of the street where he lived, Master Lionel were that worked up and excited that he was growing paler and paler, and his eyes were like lanterns in his face, and he caught hold of my hand and held it hard and fast. “Rabbett,” he says, “what if we should be too late?” “I can’t think such bad luck could happen to us, sir,” I answers him back.