e time is drawing near when it
will be imperatively necessary for me to tell you my story. Then we
shall see what your opinion of me will be."

"So you really have a history?" remarked the girl. "The people on board
the _Golden Fleece_ suspected as much, and freely said so; and as I have
watched you from time to time, and have observed your sudden fits of
melancholy, I have often thought that they must have been right in their
surmise. Yes; you shall tell me your story, Dick; I shall be profoundly
interested in it, I am certain; and if it is a sad one--as I more than
half suspect--you shall have my whole-hearted sympathy. But, whatever
you may have to tell me, it will never alter my opinion of you; you may
have met with misfortune, or suffered grievous wrong, but nothing will
ever persuade me that such a man as you have shown yourself to be can
ever have done anything of which you or your friends need be ashamed.
Tell it me now, Dick, if you will."

"No," answered Leslie, resolutely, though he longed for her promised
sympathy more intensely than he had ever longed for anything else in his
life; "no; I will not tell you now; the time is not yet ripe. But it
will be ere long; and then I will tell you."

"So be it," agreed Flora. "Until then I can wait. And now let us go to
dinner, for I see by the appearance of the cooking-stove that it is
ready, and I am sure you must need it."

On the following morning, in accordance with their over-night
arrangement, they got on board the catamaran after breakfast and,
sailing out to the reef, anchored on its inner edge, and started to
fish. They appeared, however, to have chanced upon an unfavourable spot
to start with, for after about half an hour their efforts were rewarded
by the capture of only four fish, so small as to be quite worthless,
except for bait; Leslie therefore tripped his anchor and, setting his
canvas, determined to try his luck somewhat further to the
north-eastward, and nearer the entrance channel.

They had been under way some ten minutes, slipping along over the very
inner edge of the reef, with the deep-water of the lagoon on their port
hand, when Flora, who was peering abstractedly down into this deep,
pellucid water, suddenly cried out--

"Oh, look, Dick, look; what is that huge object over there? Is it
another wreck?"

"Where away?" asked Leslie, gazing out over the reef.

"Down there in the water," answered the girl, pointing to a spot over