There she was, headed squarely down the stream, just gathering speed. There was a flutter of hand-kerchiefs from her deck, we could see the people crowding against the rail in their eagerness to wave a last good-bye---- Curtiss, who had been staring at her stupidly, suddenly flushed and pulled himself erect. "There she is!" he cried. "See--standing alone by that forward boat." I stared with all my eyes. There was indeed a figure there--a woman clad in black--but the face was the merest blur. "You think so?" I asked incredulously. "I know so!" and he swung sharp round, his face alight with eagerness. "Come--there must be some way to catch her--a tug----" He accosted the first blue-coated official he could find, but that worthy shook his head. No tug could catch the _Umbria_ now; besides, there was none at hand to make the trial. By the time one could be secured, the ship would be far down the bay, settling into her speed. What was the trouble--a lady on board? "Well, the best you can do is to meet her at Liverpool when she lands," he said. "Meet her?" echoed Curtiss. "But how?" "Take the _Oceanic_. She'll sail in half an hour from Pier 48, just below here. She'll reach Liverpool ahead of the _Umbria_--perhaps a day ahead." I saw Curtiss's lips tighten with sudden resolution. "Thank you," he said. "I'll do it." There was nothing to be said. He was past arguing with, even had we felt like arguing--which I, for one, did not. "I'll cable," he promised, as we stood in the shadow of the big liner, "and let you know if I find her." "Have you money enough?" asked Mr. Royce. "Don't hesitate to say so, if you haven't." Curtiss laughed bitterly. "Oh, I've enough!" he said. "Quite a roll, in fact. I'd expected to spend it on a honeymoon!" "You'll have the honeymoon yet," said Mr. Royce, with a certainty I thought a little forced. "What will you do for clothes?" "I can make out some way till I get to the other side--the steward can help me." Mr. Royce was again looking at him anxiously. "I don't like it," he said, "your running off this way. You'll kill yourself." "Oh, I'll be all right," Curtiss assured him. "A sea-voyage is just what would have been prescribed for me," and he attempted a smile. "But you've got the worst stateroom on board," and indeed the _Oceanic_ had been so crowded that he was fortunate to get that. "No matter," said Curtiss. "I'd have gone if there'd been no place but the steerage." "There's one thing," I said. "Have you an enemy in New York who might try to do you an injury? That would explain the letter, you know." Curtiss thought for a moment with knitted brows. Then he shook his head. "No," he said decidedly, "I have no enemy--certainly none who'd descend to stabbing me in the back. Besides, what could even the most unscrupulous enemy have written? How could he have hurt me? I can't understand it," he added wearily. "Neither can I," I agreed. "It's beyond reasoning about."