s at her side before another word could pass his withered lips.

"Miss Denison, will you grant me five minutes', conversation? It may be
the last that we shall ever have together!"

Uncovering her face, she looked at me with a strange terror in her great
eyes; then with a questioning light that was yet more strange, for in it
there was a wistfulness I could not comprehend. She suffered me to take
her hand, however, and to lead her unresisting to the weather rail.

"What is it you have to say?" she asked me in her turn. "What is it that
you--think?"

Her voice fell as though she must have the truth.

"That we have all a very good chance," said I heartily.

"Is that all?" cried Eva, and my heart sank at her eager manner.

She seemed at once disappointed and relieved. Could it be possible she
dreaded a declaration which she had foreseen all along? My evil first
experience rose up to warn me. No, I would not speak now; it was no
time. If she loved me, it might make her love me less; better to trust
to God to spare us both.

"Yes, it is all," I said doggedly.

She drew a little nearer, hesitating. It was as though her
disappointment had gained on her relief.

"Do you know what I thought you were going to say?"

"No, indeed."

"Dare I tell you?"

"You can trust me."

Her pale lips parted. Her great eyes shone. Another instant, and she had
told me that which I would have given all but life itself to know. But
in that tick of time a quick step came behind me, and the light went out
of the sweet face upturned to mine.

"I cannot! I must not! Here is--that man!"

Senhor Santos was all smiles and rings of pale-blue smoke.

"You will be cut off, friend Cole," said he. "The fire is spreading."

"Let it spread!" I cried, gazing my very soul into the young girl's
eyes. "We have not finished our conversation.

"We have!" said she, with sudden decision. "Go--go--for my sake--for
your own sake--go at once!"

She gave me her hand. I merely clasped it. And so I left her at the
rail-ah, heaven! how often we had argued on that very spot! So I left
her, with the greatest effort of all my life (but one); and yet in
passing, full as my heart was of love and self, I could not but lay a
hand on poor Ready's shoulders.

"God bless you, old boy!" I said to him.

He turned a white face that gave me half an instant's pause.

"It's all over with me this time," he said. "But, I say, I was right
about the cargo?"

And I he