He passed on with a chuckle, and Erica leaned her chin on the iron rail and stared dreamily at the slowly heaving, lazy blue water. Suppose she were really a boy—suppose she were sailing day after tomorrow with Tommy, on the _Spray_! They’d see China together—Canton, Foochow, Hangchow, Cochin-China—all those myriad names of pure romance that had sung in her listening ears ever since she first heard them in her sea-faring father’s tales of his voyages. They’d visit Sun Li, too, and there’d be splendid news of Lis waiting for them in her Chinese godfather’s gorgeous palace. Perhaps Lis himself would be there and they’d all three go sight-seeing, and—and—— She rubbed her eyes like a person just waking out of a deep sleep, at the sound of Aunt Callie’s gentle voice asking her a question. Erica sighed heavily as she turned to answer. What was the use of imagining impossibilities? One had always to wake again and remember one was only a stay-at-home girl. And there wasn’t any good news yet. Lis wasn’t waiting for them in Sun Li’s Cantonese palace. Perhaps—perhaps they’d never—no, no use imagining that way, either. She’d only end by crying, and making Aunt Callie cry with her. They arrived at Cousin Kate Kingsley’s house on Mount Vernon Street in time for supper, and found Tommy there ahead of them, busily describing to Cousin Kate the many superior advantages of the _Spray_ above all other China-bound clippers. Captain Bartlet had given him the evening ashore, but he had to report back on board by nine o’clock. Erica was as eager to hear as Tommy to tell, so supper was largely taken up with animated talk between the two young people. Now and then some mention of Lis, or China, brought a swift cloud to both the girl’s and boy’s faces; but, after all, they were at an age when hope is easier to believe in than despair; and since there was as yet no positive proof of harm having come to Lister, it was natural enough they should cling to an optimistic confidence in the eventual happy outcome of all their fears and troubles. Meantime, here was adventure ahead for Tommy, and present new scenes and wonders for both in the mere fact of being off familiar Nantucket and in big, busy Boston, about which so much talk at home centered among the fisher folk. Mrs. Folger, while not daring to let herself share their optimism, was faintly conscious of a little stirring of courage in her thoughts of the future. Perhaps, after all, there would be some explanation of her boy’s strange disappearance. Perhaps her brother-in-law’s ship, the _Sea Gull_, now supposed to be well on its homeward course, would bring good news. Or perhaps Tommy himself would find Lis, safe and sound, in Sun Li’s palace when the _Spray_ reached Canton. Cousin Kate smiled on them all, and plied them hospitably with tempting dishes of her own concocting, to which Erica and Tommy, at least, did ample, and appreciative justice.