to her seat.

"Come, you are not well enough to go upon deck--let us talk of
something else. Do you not long to see France again?"

"France, la belle France?" murmured the poor girl.

"Yes, your own France."

"I see the home of my childhood; O, is it not beautiful! How full the
vine-tree hangs with the clustering grape, and the village girls are
dancing on the green. I see myself among them--and I look smiling and
happy; but, O! there is William! how dark he looks as he gazes through
the vines upon me; he beckons me away. I will come! I will come!"

Julia wept as she looked sorrowfully upon this wreck of happiness and
beauty.

"My dear Florette, I hope you will yet again dance with your village
girls beneath the bower of vines you seem to see."

"O, never, never! Did I not tell you I should never see France again?
No, no! I am going to William, he is impatient. See! he frowns!" and
again she strove to break from Julia, but suffered herself to be
restrained by the gentle violence of her companion.

"Come, Florette, will you not sleep?"

A gleam of intelligence seemed to pass across her countenance, and her
eyes lighted as if with a sudden resolve. She was too weak to escape
from Julia, and with the cunning which so often characterizes the
fevered mind, she determined to attain by deception, what she saw
could not be done otherwise.

"Yes, lady, I will sleep."

And with a smile upon her lips she closed her eyes, and wrapping her
long scarf about her, fell back upon the couch.

Julia watched her long. In the dim light of the cabin-lamp she did not
perceive that occasionally those bright eyes were half opened, and
fastened upon her impatiently.

Satisfied at length that she was asleep, Julia gently left the cabin,
and stole upon the deck, where Lieutenant Morris anxiously awaited
her.

The moment her light form vanished, the invalid rose from her couch,
and, with a triumphant smile, gazed round the vacant cabin.

"There is no one here now, William, but you and I. Now I will go with
you to your beautiful home in the sea. Stay a moment, let me arrange
my toilette. I do not look as well as I did, William, or this glass
deceives me; but it matters not, you look kindly on me still, and I am
happy now--happier than I have been for a long time. There, William, I
am ready!" and following the shadow of her imagination, she glided
with a stealthy step to the deck.

Lieutenant Morris and Julia were slowly pacing