is only a sort of country cousin, a colonial, just come to
town!" she added, waving a small, daintily-gloved hand to the little
group of friends who now approached and joined them. "Captain Forsythe
is trying to persuade me it is a legitimate part of our slumming plan to
take in murder trials, uncle," she said lightly, addressing the foremost
of the new-comers. "Just because it's a fad of his! Speaking of this
acquaintance or friend of yours, Mr. Steele,--you are something of a
criminologist, too, are you not, Captain Forsythe?"

"Well, every man should have a hobby," returned that individual, "and,
although I don't aspire to the long name you call me, I confess to a
slight amateur interest."

Lord Ronsdale shrugged his shoulders, as to say, every one to his taste;
but the girl laughed.

"Slight?" she repeated. "Would you believe it, aunt"--to a portly lady
among those who had approached--"he never misses a murder trial! I
believe he likes to watch the poor fellows fighting for their lives, to
study their faces, their expressions when they're being sentenced,
perhaps, to one of those horrible convict ships!"

"Don't speak of them, my dear Jocelyn!" returned that worthy person,
with a shudder. "When I think of the _Lord Nelson_, and that awful
night--"

"You were three days in an open boat before being sighted and picked up,
I believe, Lady Wray?" observed Captain Forsythe.

"Three days? Years!" returned the governor's wife. "At least, they
seemed so to me! I thought every moment would be our last and goodness
knows why it wasn't! How we managed to survive it--"

"Narrow squeak, certainly!" said Lord Ronsdale, his lids lowering
slightly. "But all's well that ends well, and--"

"Every one behaved splendidly," interposed Sir Charles. "You," gazing
contemplatively at the girl, "were but a child then, Jocelyn."

She did not answer; the beautiful face had abruptly changed; all
laughter had gone from the clear blue eyes.

"She is thinking of the convict who saved her!" observed Sir Charles in
an explanatory tone to Captain Forsythe. "Quite an interesting episode,
'pon honor! Tell you about it later. Never saw anything finer, or
better. And the amazing part of it is, the fellow looked like a brute,
had the low, ignorant face of an ex-bruiser. He'd gone to the bad, taken
to drink, and committed I don't know how many crimes! Yet that man, the
lowest of the low--"

"You must not speak of him that way!" The girl's hand