r side, I'm afraid! Miss Rogers is too
inexperienced, my thoughts run on, to disguise her liking for the
Baron, and instead of being pleased or flattered as he should be, he
will leave her at a look from me, only to get laughed at for his
pains. A strange world! I say to myself. "As it was in the beginning,
is now, and ever shall be!" sings the choir, and Miss Rogers' clear
voice lingers in the "Amen."

As I walk the deck with the Baron that evening he tells me about his
lovely sister, "Alvida," and about Peruvian customs.

"My sister ees dthe most beautiful voman in Peru; she haf many
suitors, but she ees nefer allow to see dthem except when dthe family
air vidth her. It ees not like your country; a man can nefer know
dthe voman he loaf till he marry her."

"Very stupid custom," I say. "I wouldn't give a fig for such love. You
could only care for the face or the fortune of a woman so hemmed
about. What could you know of the character, of the real individual,
that after all is the only safe thing to pin one's faith to."

"I like your customs better in zome dthings, but it makes you vomans
too clevair; you know men better dthan ve know you."

"You have the same opportunities. It's not our fault if you don't
profit by them."

"You tell me yourself," he goes on, unheeding, "you haf many gude
friends among your fadther's and brodthers' acquaintances; dthat make
you care so leedle for men."

"Not a bit of it!" I laugh. "On the contrary, it has so accustomed me
to their friendship I would find life utterly unendurable without it."

"I vill make you fery angry pairhaps, but I have deescovair you like
_me_ leedle more dthan a friend."

"I suppose it is often flattering to a man's vanity to have a fancy
like that," I say coolly, but I am conscious of a twinge; what if I do
like him more than I want to think?

"It ees not fancy, Senorita; you do not know yourself you care, but
you do."

"Nonsense; I know all about it. I'm not a sentimental person and I
don't mind telling you in plain English I _like_ you. I must like you
rather more than usual, or I wouldn't see so much of you." By this
time we are away from the rest of the passengers, down by the
smokestack. "I feel as if I'd known you _for years_!" I end with a
sense of having turned the tide of sentiment by a little frank
speaking, and feel rather proud of myself.

"Senorita," he clasps his hand over mine and speaks hurriedly, "I know
you loaf me; tell me so."