Wayne Wayland was by no means sure that Boyd would not make good his threat to visit the yacht that evening, and in any case he wished to be prepared. A scene before the other passengers of _The Grande Dame_ was not to be thought of. Besides, if the young man were roughly handled, it would make him a martyr in Mildred's eyes. He talked over the matter with Marsh, who suggested that the sightseers should dine ashore and spend the evening with him at the plant. With only Mildred and her father left on the yacht, there would be no possibility of scandal, even if Emerson were mad enough to force an interview. "And what is more," declared Mr. Wayland, "I shall give orders to clear on the high tide. That fellow is a menace, and the sooner Mildred is away from him the better. You shall go with us, my boy." But when he went to Mildred, to explain the nature of his arrangements, he found her in a furious temper. "Why did you announce my engagement to Mr. Marsh?" she demanded, angrily. "The whole ship is talking about it. By what right did you do that?" "I did it for your own sake," said the old man. "This whelp, Emerson, has made a fool of you and of me long enough. There must be an end to it." "But I don't love Willis Marsh!" she cried. "You forget I am of age." "Nonsense! Willis is a fine fellow, he loves you, and he is the best business man for his years I have ever known. If it were not for this foolish boy-and-girl affair, you would return his love. He suits me, and--well, I have put my foot down, so there's an end of it." "Do you intend to force me to marry him?" Mr. Wayland recognized the danger-signal. "Absurd! Take all the time you wish; you'll come around all right. That reprobate you were engaged to defied me and defended that woman." He told of his stormy interview with Boyd, concluding: "It is fortunate we found him out, Mildred. I have guarded you all my life. I have lavished everything money could buy upon you. I have built up the greatest fortune in all the West for you. I have kept you pure and sweet and good--and to think that such a fellow should dare--" Mr. Wayland choked with anger. "The one thing I cannot stand in a man or a woman is immorality. I have lived clean myself, and my son shall be as clean as I." "Did you say that Boyd threatened to come aboard this evening?" questioned the girl. "Yes. But I swore that he should not." "And still he repeated his threat?" Mildred's eyes were strangely bright. She was smiling as if to herself. "He did, the braggart! He had better not try it." "Then he'll come," said Mildred.