and St.
Paul; which proves that a little knowledge is not dangerous."

The girl smiled.

"Most men would be ashamed to say that," she said. "Most of the men I
have known," she added.

"I never would have said it to any one but you." He said this with
quiet conviction, and the girl inclined her head slightly.

"I thank you. . . . Do you remember that night at the dinner when I
told you that if our friendship was to continue it was to be one of
limitations? How long ago that seems now--and how absurd!"

"Does it seem absurd?"

"Doesn't it?" She laughed. "It seems to me you were inclined to
regard it so that night."

"Much to your indignation."

"Is it so? If you had asked me, I might have admitted that the fact I
ever could be indignant with you was the principal reason why that
night of the dinner seemed so long ago." She hastened to qualify.
"For, you see, I count you now among my very closest friends."

"That is saying a great deal," smiled Dan. "When we get ashore and you
are comfortably installed as queen of your father's drawing-room and
Dan Merrithew is--"

An exclamation from the girl interrupted him.

"Dan Merrithew, don't you dare!"

"And Dan Merrithew is just a--" She had risen, and before he could
complete the sentence her hands were pressed tightly over his mouth.

"Will you be good?" she cried. She released her hands and regarded him
with mock severity.

"But--" laughed Dan.

Again the hands flew to his face.

"Will you?"

"I will," said Dan.

"And you'll promise not to say or think such nonsense again?"

"I promise," said Dan.

And then for a while both fell silent, thinking of the future which lay
before them. The girl smiled as her day-dreams opened and expanded.
Dan frowned, and the fingers of his well-shaped hands locked and
unlocked across his knees.

Suddenly Virginia sprang to her feet with an exclamation.

"Oh, I forgot," she said, and ran, laughing, to the galley, whence she
returned with a large plate of fudge. At Dan's look of surprise she
tossed her head in mock disdain of what he might say or think.

"I unearthed two great cakes of chocolate last night," she said, "and
as I was simply dying for some candy I made fudge while preparing
breakfast. I had to use condensed milk, watered; and as there was no
marble slab I had to stir it in the pan. I don't know how good it is;
it's awfully grainy"; and thus, rattling on, she took a square of the
confecti