And we came running down the stairs, and some of those women there acted as if they would kiss Ned, but I soon let them know who I was, especially Carmen Whiffle, who, after looking in surprise at us, turned to Larry. But auntie and Nan and Larry were already strolling over to the row of palmettos, at which Carmen Whiffle, tossing her head and swaying her waist like every Carmen of every Carmen opera I ever saw, walked over to where Podesta had sat down at a table by himself. "Will you tell me," I asked Ned on our way up-stairs, "how Larry ever came to know Carmen Whiffle?" "If there is a young officer in port who doesn't know Carmen Whiffle, I have not met him. She takes care of that." "But he didn't have to talk with her by the hour--and dance with her." "In the service, Nettie," said Ned, "we sometimes have to find out things that have nothing to do with the main engine or the turret-guns. And Carmen Whiffle knows General Podesta very well. And Larry, if somewhat young and innocent, is not without brains. Now don't ask any more." And I did not; but I went on to tell Ned how I had planned the balcony interview. Ned could not keep it to himself--he told auntie. "Yes," said auntie, when he had finished, "it was very clever. Nettie always is. My door was ajar when I saw Neddo running for down-stairs, and I stopped him to learn what in the world he was doing. And he told me the secret that I wasn't to tell Nan." She is the most annoying woman. "If you knew so much, why didn't you stop it?" I asked. "Why should I stop it?" she answered, with the most exasperating calm. "I always wanted Nan and Larry to marry. But I always believed in a little discipline, too. When young people have merely to cry for a thing to get it--it doesn't do them any lasting good." To escape the quizzical eyes of auntie, I looked back down the stairs; and if there weren't Carmen Whiffle and General Podesta sitting at a table and the fat majordomo himself opening a bottle of wine for them! "Well!" I gasped to Ned. "Yes," said Ned. "The rumor is that she may be the Señora Podesta any time she pleases. And if she had learned from Ned or some other indiscreet young or old officer that we were to land to-night--it would have saved Podesta from making a rather ridiculous entry into the city, wouldn't it?" "What a schemer!" I cried. "Yes," smiled Ned--"everybody schemers but our own selves. I spoke a word to the flag-lieutenant to-day--he's a classmate--to put in a word for me for the landing party to the Old Man." "Your courage and your brains," I began--"or was it your knowledge of the language----" "The fleet," interrupted Ned, "is crowded with officers of courage and brains. And I am not alone on the language end of it. But I was the only officer with a wife and two children ashore. And, as we hadn't seen each other for a year, the Old Man thought it mightn't be a bad idea for me to come ashore and have an eye out for them."