"Oh, papa, if you only knew how much I despise the lieutenant, you would not ask me to marry him!" she moaned, in her native tongue. "I do not love him--I never can love him!" She read a portion of one of the letters again. "And you say it was mother's dying wish, also, that I should be married into the Mazenas family! Oh, mother, mother, little did you know what you were asking at the hands of your only child! Little did you know! My heart will break! My heart will break!" And dashing the letters to the floor she burst forth once more into a torrent of passionate weeping. It was not until the following day, when they were off Cape Hatteras, that Howard saw her again. Her face was then so pale and her eyes so sunken that he could not repress an exclamation of alarm. "You have indeed suffered!" he cried. "You should have gone as far as possible by land. This voyage round the cape will be something terrible for you!" "I am feeling better now, and I doubt if I have another attack," she replied, with a faint smile. She was glad he attributed the change in her to seasickness. "What a beautiful autumn day it is!" "Are you anxious to get home?" he asked, as he conducted her to her chair and drew up his own. "No--yes--that is, I shall be glad to see papa again--and Cara, my faithful maid. But otherwise----" "You would rather remain in the United States?" "Much rather. I like the people and their ways. You see," she added, by way of explanation, "I have American blood in me on my mother's side. And papa used to like Americans--before this war broke out, and they began to side with the rebels--and that's how I came to be sent to Vassar to be educated." "I trust we shall see much of each other while in Cuba, Estella," he whispered. "I cannot bear to think of losing you now that we have once met." She smiled, and then the lines of deep thought marked her brow. "Perhaps you won't say that when you see the surroundings, and our people." "A pearl is a pearl still, no matter where it falls," he rejoined, trying his best to look into her deep eyes, and not failing altogether. He would have said much more, but Captain Barbados, who had been watching them, strolled up with his friend Philippe, and spoiled the tete-a-tete. The days passed all too quickly for Howard Sherwood after this. Time and again he strove to lead Estella to a retired spot, where he might talk to her in private, might tell her something of the passion which had been born in his heart, but the watchful eyes of Captain Barbados or Philippe were always on them, and he found it impossible. "They think me a spy, and are determined to watch me as a cat watches a mouse," thought Howard, bitterly. "Hang the luck, any way! I would like to pitch them both overboard!" It was not many days before the Columbian came in sight of the Pointe de Maysi. The run thence down the Windward Passage was quickly made, and a couple of hours later the steamer dropped anchor in the harbor of Santiago.