"Don't tease him about it. He was furiously angry because you ran away and came by yourself," said De Vere. He was beginning to turn the tables on Lancaster now, and he enjoyed it immensely. "But I did not come by myself. My friends where I boarded--Mrs. Norton and her husband--came with me. I did not know Captain Lancaster was coming for me. If I had known I should have waited," apologetically. "You do not know what you missed by not waiting," said De Vere. "When Lancaster came aboard he had a great big hot-house bouquet." "And I do so love flowers," said Leonora, looking round expectantly at the captain. "Ah, you needn't look round at him now. It is too late," said De Vere, wickedly. "When he came scrambling up the gang-plank, at the last moment, and didn't see you anywhere on deck, he was so overcome by his disappointment, to use the mildest phrase, that he threw the beautiful bouquet out into the sea." "Ah! you did not, really, did you, Captain Lancaster?" exclaimed Leonora, regretfully. "Yes; the flowers were beginning to droop," he replied, fibbing unblushingly; and then he arose and walked away from them, too much exasperated at De Vere's chaff to endure his proximity a minute longer. He crossed over to the other side of the deck and stood there with his face turned from them, gazing out at the beautiful, foam-capped billows of old ocean with the golden track of the sunset shining far across the waves. There came to him suddenly the remembrance that he was homeward bound. He was homeward bound. In a few days, or weeks at most, he should be at home; he should be at Lancaster Park; he should meet the girl his vixenish aunt had chosen for his future bride. He wondered vaguely what she would be like--pretty, he hoped; as pretty as--yes, as pretty as--Leonora West. Her clear, sweet voice floated across the deck, the words plainly audible. "You are both soldiers. How pleasant! I do so adore soldiers." "You make me very happy, Miss West," cried De Vere, sentimentally, with his hand upon his heart. "But not," continued Leonora, with a careless glance at him, "not in their ordinary clothes, you understand, Lieutenant De Vere. It is the uniform that delights me. I think it is just too lovely for anything." De Vere, crushed to the earth for a moment, hastily rallied himself. "I would give the half of my kingdom," he said, "if only I had gone traveling in my red coat." "I wish you had," she replied. "But some day--after we get to England, I mean--you will let me see you in it, won't you?" "Every day, if you like. I shall only be too happy," vivaciously. "I'll be shot if you shall have an invitation to Lancaster Park, you popinjay!" Lancaster muttered to himself, in unreasonable irritation. He moved away a little further from them, out of earshot of their talk, but he could not as easily divert his thoughts from them.