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"She's a great crank on religion," admitted Hugh. Then he could feel himself turn pale. He was passing Grace off as a missionary, and thereby placing her under restrictions that never before had entered into her gay life. Veath would treat her as if she were of fragile glass and it would not be long until the whole boat would be staring at the beautiful girl who was going to the heathen.
Hugh, disconcerted and piqued by her confusion of names, answered her wondrous smile with one that reflected bewildered admiration, and finally managed to send after her: "I wouldn't have lost the opportunity for the world." That evening he was sitting out on deck in contemplative silence enjoying his after-dinner smoke. Farther down were Grace and Veath.
It was the evening following the conflict. As night approached, the sun fell behind the shores of the Red Sea, the stars twinkled out through the blackness above, and yet they had not caught a glimpse of her Ladyship. At dinner, he and Grace had agreed that she had either renounced them entirely, or had been compelled to avoid him in particular. Veath was less concerned.
He poured into her dull ears the story of the visit to Grace Vernon, but he was compelled to repeat it. Her ears were unbelieving. "Grace is coming here with Henry Veath," he said in the end. "By Jove, I am happy!" She held his face close to hers and looked deep into his eyes for a long, long time. "Are you sure?" she whispered at last. "Is it all true?"
And yet something mournful seemed to shade the brilliant face now and then. It did not come and go, moreover, for the frank, open beauty was always the same; it was revealed to him only at intervals. Perhaps he saw it in her dark, tender eyes he could not tell. He saw Henry Veath pacing the deck, smoking and alone.
Miss Vernon's face assumed a stony expression for an instant, but the gleam of pure frankness in his eyes dispelled her momentary disapproval. "You don't mind, do you?" he asked hastily. "Not at all, Mr. Veath," she said, forgetting that a moment before she had considered him presumptuous. "On the contrary, I think it is so much nicer to have you on this side of the table.
Suddenly turning in their direction, Hugh perceived that they were not there; nor were they anywhere in sight. He was pondering over their whereabouts, his eyes still on the vacant chairs, when a voice tender and musical assailed his ears a voice which he had heard but once before. "Good-evening, Mr. Veath."
"As long as the engine and steering apparatus hold together the crew of the ship can pull her through," said Veath. "I have the utmost confidence in the boat and the men." "But all the men on the ocean cannot keep her from striking an unseen rock, nor could any ship withstand such a shock," argued the young Englishwoman bravely. "That's right, Lady Tennys," quickly cried Hamilton.
Veath on board, is there not? a friend?" "A Mr. Henry Veath going into the American Revenue Service at Manila." "How stupid of me! However, I am positive that I was told it was Mr. Veath who was in love with Miss Ridge." "But he isn't," hastily cried Hugh, turning hot and cold by turns. "He's just a friend. She she is to marry another chap." Here he gulped painfully.
"Well, there have been thousands of ships to escape them all, I fancy," said Ridgeway boldly. The two women were speechless. "And there have been thousands of storms, too," added Veath, a sort of wild exultation ringing in his voice, plain to Grace if not to the others. "Do not try to deceive us, gentlemen," wavered Lady Tennys. "We can be a great deal braver if we know the real situation.
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