ano's is a restaurant near the
Gaiety Theatre.'

'Besides,' I continued, in a drawl like his own, 'there are Risotto, and
Gnocchi, and Vermicelli, and Anchovy--all famous paintahs, and all of
whom I don't doubt you admiah.'

Elsie exploded at last. But he took no offence. He smiled inanely, as if
he rather enjoyed it. 'Look heah, you know,' he said, with his crafty
smile; 'that's one too much. I'm not taking any. You think yourselves
very clevah for kidding me with paintahs who are really macaroni and
cheese and claret; yet if I were to tell you the Lejah was run at Ascot,
or the Cesarewitch at Doncastah, why, you'd be no wisah. When it comes
to art, I don't have a look in; but I could tell you a thing or two
about starting prices.'

And I was forced to admit that there he had reason.

Still, I think he realised that he had better avoid the subject of art
in future, as we avoided the noble quadruped. He saw his limitations.

Not till the last evening before we reached Bombay did I really
understand the nature of my neighbour's project. That evening, as it
chanced, Elsie had a headache and went below early. I stopped with her
till she dozed off; then I slipped up on deck once more for a breath of
fresh air, before retiring for the night to the hot and stuffy cabin. It
was an exquisite evening. The moon rode in the pale green sky of the
tropics. A strange light still lingered on the western horizon. The
stifling heat of the Red Sea had given way long since to the refreshing
coolness of the Indian Ocean. I strolled a while on the quarter-deck,
and sat down at last near the stern. Next moment, I was aware of
somebody creeping up to me.

'Look heah, Miss Cayley,' a voice broke in; 'I'm in luck at last! I've
been waiting, oh, evah so long, for this opportunity.'

I turned and faced him. 'Have you, indeed?' I answered. 'Well, I have
_not_, Lord Southminster.'

I tried to rise, but he motioned me back to my chair. There were ladies
on deck, and to avoid being noticed I sank into my seat again.

'I want to speak to you,' he went on, in a voice that (for him) was
almost impressive. 'Half a mo, Miss Cayley. I want to say--this last
night--you misunderstand me.'

'On the contrary,' I answered, 'the trouble is--that I understand you
perfectly.'

'No, yah don't. Look heah.' He bent forward quite romantically. 'I'm
going to be perfectly frank. Of course yah know that when I came on
board this ship I came--to checkmate ya