“The _what_,” exclaimed Elinor Leyton, ungrammatically, as she turned round upon the Digue and confronted him. “He means Miss Brandt!” interposed Margaret, hastily, “many people think that she is handsome!” “No one could think otherwise,” responded Ralph. “Is she Spanish?” “O! no; her parents were English. She comes from Jamaica!” “Ah! a drop of Creole blood in her then, I daresay! You never see such eyes in an English face!” “What’s the matter with her eyes?” asked Elinor sharply. “They’re very large and dark, you know, Elinor!” said Mrs. Pullen, observing the cloud which was settling down upon the girl’s face, “but it is not everybody who admires dark eyes, or you and I would come off badly!” “Well, with all due deference to you, my fair sister-in-law,” replied Ralph, with the stupidity of a selfish man who never knows when he is wounding his hearers, “most people give the preference to dark eyes in women. Anyway Miss Brandt (if that is her name) is a beauty and no mistake!” “I can’t say that I admire your taste,” said Elinor, “and I sincerely hope that Miss Brandt will not force her company upon us whilst you are here. Margaret and I have suffered more than enough already in that respect! She is only half educated and knows nothing of the world, and is altogether a most uninteresting companion. I dislike her exceedingly!” “Ah! don’t forget her singing!” cried Margaret, unwittingly. “Does she sing?” demanded the Captain. “Yes! and wonderfully well for an amateur! She plays the mandoline also. I think Elinor is a little hard on her! Of course she is very young and unformed, but she has only just come out of a convent where she has been educated for the last ten years. What can you expect of a girl who has never been out in Society? I know that she is very good-natured, and has waited on baby as if she had been her servant!” “Don’t you think we have had about enough of Miss Harriet Brandt?” said Elinor, “I want to hear what Ralph thinks of Heyst, or if he advises our going on to Ostende. I believe Ostende is much gayer and brighter than Heyst!” “But we must wait now till Doctor Phillips joins us,” interposed Margaret. “He could come after us, if Ralph preferred Ostende or Blankenburghe,” said Elinor eagerly. “My dear ladies,” exclaimed Captain Pullen, “allow me to form an opinion of Heyst first, and then we will talk about other places. This seems pleasant enough in all conscience to me now!” “O! you two are bound to think any place pleasant,” laughed Margaret, “but I think I must go in to my baby! I do not feel easy to be away from her too long, now that she is ailing. But there is no need for you to come in, Elinor! It is only just nine o’clock!” “I would rather accompany you,” replied Miss Leyton, primly. “No! no! Elinor, stay with me! If you are tired we can sit in the balcony. I have seen nothing of you yet!” remonstrated her lover.