stly. "I beg that you will
think well over it. I shall come again for my answer. When shall I come?
Tonight?"

"Yes, come tonight."

"Then, adieu. Believe me that I think more highly of you for your
hesitation. I shall live in hope." He raised her hand to his lips, and
left her to her own thoughts.

But what those thoughts were did not long remain in doubt. Dimmer and
dimmer grew the vision of the distant sailor face, clearer and clearer
the image of the vast palace, of the queenly power, of the diamonds, the
gold, the ambitious future. It all lay at her feet, waiting to be picked
up. How could she have hesitated, even for a moment? She rose, and,
walking over to her desk, she took out a sheet of paper and an envelope.
The latter she addressed to Lieutenant Spurling, H.M.S. _Active_,
Gibraltar. The note cost some little trouble, but at last she got it
worded to her mind.

"Dear Hector," she said--"I am convinced that your father has
never entirely approved of our engagement, otherwise he
would not have thrown obstacles in the way of our marriage.
I am sure, too, that since my poor father's misfortune it is
only your own sense of honour and feeling of duty which have
kept you true to me, and that you would have done infinitely
better had you never seen me. I cannot bear, Hector, to allow
you to imperil your future for my sake, and I have determined,
after thinking well over the matter, to release you from our
boy and girl engagement, so that you may be entirely free in
every way. It is possible that you may think it unkind of me
to do this now, but I am quite sure, dear Hector, that when you
are an admiral and a very distinguished man, you will look back
at this, and you will see that I have been a true friend to you,
and have prevented you from making a false step early in your
career. For myself, whether I marry or not, I have determined
to devote the remainder of my life to trying to do good, and to
leaving the world happier than I found it. Your father is very
well, and gave us a capital sermon last Sunday. I enclose the
bank-note which you asked me to keep for you. Good-bye, for ever,
dear Hector, and believe me when I say that, come what may, I am
ever your true friend,

"Laura S. McIntyre."

She had hardly sealed her letter before her father and Robert returned.
She closed the door behind them, and made them a little curtse