"Why, Captain Boynton!"

"I would. It's the Lord's truth. Her mother before her got caught by
just such a high-headed British fool. She was welcome to him, and he to
her, though Heaven knows she paid for it. If I thought my girl was going
the same way--"

His square jaw quivered suddenly, and he turned away abruptly.

Mrs. Weston was wise enough to keep silent until he had mastered
himself, then she said kindly:

"I don't wonder you feel as you do. You leave the matter to me, and I'll
do my best to keep things in abeyance until we reach Hong-Kong. Once
they are separated, the danger is practically over."

It is doubtful, however, whether the combined efforts of the captain,
Mrs. Weston, and even Percival himself could have kept things _in
statu quo_ had a timely typhoon not arrived and taken things into its
own hands. It was about four in the afternoon that the sky darkened and
the bright blue water turned to gray. The wind shifted and came on to
blow dead ahead.

"What a queer light there is on everything!" cried Mrs. Weston, who was
dutifully stationed between Bobby and Percival, doing sentry duty. "I
wonder if it is going to blow up a storm."

"I hope so," said Bobby. "I love for things to happen."

Percival glanced despairingly at Mrs. Weston, who was beginning on a
fresh ball of yarn. If she continued to sit there and knit the rest of
her life, nothing ever would happen.

"I ought to close my port-hole if it's going to rain," she said. "Do you
think it is?"

"Sure to," said Percival, with unusual alacrity. "Hard shower any
minute."

Mrs. Weston rose reluctantly.

"Don't you think you'd better come down, too, Bobby, and close yours?"

"Mine's closed, thanks. I'll take your place and hold Mr. Hascombe's
tea-cup."

Now, when a person with outrageously blue eyes is leaning on the arm of
your steamer-chair, steadying your saucer for you, and the wind has
blown everybody else off the deck except a bow-legged Chinese steward
who is absorbed in tying things down, it does look as if Fate meant to
be propitious.

Percival put his cup in his saucer and let his fingers touch the small
hand that held it.

[Illustration: "It's quite worth while" he said "getting a jab in the
wrist, to have you looking after me like this"]

"It's quite worth while," he said, "getting a jab in the wrist, to have
you looking after me like this. I wonder if you realize that you saved
my life last night?"

"I bet I know wh