I told Zena so in one of my letters; so convincingly, I regret to say, that the dear girl did not like it. There was really no cause for jealousy, but bring a man in close contact with a pretty and charming woman, especially on a yacht, and he is almost certain to flirt with her a little. It was very mild and harmless in my case, and indeed Mrs. Selborne, jolly and somewhat unconventional as she was, would have resented any liberty. We frankly enjoyed each other's society, and at the end of a few days might have known each other for years. Certainly I owed her a debt of gratitude, for the yacht did me worlds of good. I told her so that afternoon. "You certainly look better," she said. "You will send me back to work sooner than I expected." "When?" "At the end of the week." "And I expect my husband to-morrow." I don't suppose she meant it, but she said it as if she regretted his coming. "Is he fond of yachting?" I asked. "It bores him to tears," she laughed. "Most of the things which I like do. Still, he is very good to me. I am an old man's darling, you know." It was the first time she had mentioned her husband, and she had not shown the slightest curiosity in my affairs. She was just a good pal for the time being. That was how she had impressed me, but this afternoon she was--how shall I put it?--she was rather more of a woman than usual. I might easily imagine she had given me an opening for a serious flirtation. Her manner might suggest that I had become more to her than she had intended. I put the idea away from me, mentally kicking myself for allowing it to get into my head at all. "We shall sail as usual to-morrow," she told her skipper when we landed. "Very good, ma'am." "Mr. Selborne arrives to-morrow night. Let some one go up for his luggage. Half past ten." "Yes, ma'am." Mrs. Selborne and I walked back to the hotel and stood on the lawn talking for a little while before going to dress for dinner. "To-morrow will be our last cruise, I am afraid," she said, looking across the Leas. "I hope it will be fine." "I hope so." "It would really be a terrible disappointment to me if it were not. I would go--Ah, now I am being tempted to talk foolishly." She turned from me a little defiantly. She was certainly very attractive, and naturally fell into poses which showed her off to the best advantage. A man, sitting on the lawn, paused in the act of taking a cigarette from his case to look at her. His interest pleased me. I was human, and it flattered my vanity to know that I counted with this woman. "What desperate thing were you going to say?" I asked. "You will laugh at me." "I am more likely to match you in desperation." "I was going to say I would go to-morrow, wet or fine, wind or sunshine, rather than miss our last day."