n new orders had been issued to every department of her
establishment, and a peace approaching Paradise reigned in her heart.

When Carter, in a moment of daring courage, found words in which to
unfold the facts of his case, she listened in a spirit of intense wonder
that he could really be stupid enough to suppose that she would consider
such an idea for a minute.

Carter, his heart jumping wildly about behind his shirt-bosom, thought
that her look of amazement was a look of appreciation, and wound himself
up to a tension that was quite a strain on the situation.

"I'm going abroad in May," was her sole response when he had quite
finished.

"Oh, my God! don't go and marry some one over there!" he cried out, in
the sudden awful stress of the moment.

"I shall marry no one," she declared with freezing emphasis. "The very
idea! you all seem to think that I am anxious to render myself miserable
again; but I assure you that such is very far from being the case."

Poor Carter was stricken dumb under her lash, but he loved her none the
less, for it must be said that there was a certain passionate sweetness
in both the bow and quiver of Rosina's mouth which always took the worst
of the sting out of all of her many cruel speeches. And yet that very
same bow and quiver were bound to breed a fearful doubt as to the degree
of faith which one might be justified in holding in regard to the
impregnability of her position. Very likely she herself did firmly
intend remaining a widow forever; and yet--

And yet?--

Oh, the thought was unendurable!

Carter refused to endure it anyhow, but for all that the days had moved
right along until that worst of days came into being, leaving him on the
dock and sending the "Kronprinz" out to sea.

And, if the truth must be told, it is to be feared that if Rosina's
unhappy suitor could have caught a glimpse of her as night fell over
that same day's ending, his sickest doubts would have found food for
reflection and consequent misery in her situation, for when Ottillie,
the Swiss maid, came up on deck with a great, furred wrap, the most
personable man aboard was already installed at her mistress's side,
thanks to a convenient college acquaintance with her dearest of cousins;
and the way that the personable man grabbed the cloak from Ottillie and
heaped it gently around its owner would have stirred the feelings of
any casual lover whose bad luck it might be to happen along just then.

Ros