first for Paul's sake; but it might have been suspected that he now came
for the sake of somebody else. He was no longer a midshipman, for he
had received his commission as lieutenant soon after landing,
provisionally on his passing the usual examination, in consequence of
the action in which he had taken part, when he had acted as second in
command, all the other officers being killed or wounded. Mary could not
fail to like him, and although she knew the whole history of the
disastrous lawsuit between her father and the Devereux family, she had
never supposed that he belonged to them in any way.

It did not occur to Paul that his friend and his sister were becoming
sincerely and deeply attached to each other. He asked Devereux one day
why, now that he was strong enough, he did not go home to see his
friends.

"Do you wish me gone?" asked Devereux.

"No, indeed, I do not," answered Paul; "but it surprised me that you
should not be anxious to go and see them."

"Did they show any anxiety to come and see me, when they supposed I was
wounded and ill, and perhaps dying?" he asked, in an animated tone.
"No, Paul; but there is one who did come to see my best friend, who
saved my life, and watched over me with more than the tenderness of a
brother when I was sick, and for that person I have conceived an
affection which I believe will only end with my life."

"Who can you mean, Devereux?" asked Paul, in a tone of surprise.

"Why, who but your sister Mary!" exclaimed Devereux. "Do you think that
I could have spent so many days with her, and seen her tending on you
like an angel of light, as she is, and not love her with all my heart?"

"Oh, my dear Devereux, I cannot tell you how I feel about it," said
Paul, warmly taking his hand; "though I am sure Mary does not know that
you belong to that family we all fancy have treated us so ill; yet, when
she does come to know it, as she ought to know, still I do not think
that it will bias her in her sentiments towards you. When she knows
that you love her, I am sure that she must love you."

"Thank you, Paul; thank you, my dear fellow, for saying that. Then I
will tell her at once," said Devereux.

And so he did; and Mary confessed that Paul was not far wrong in his
conjectures.

It had, curiously enough, never occurred to her to what family Devereux
belonged, and when she heard, she naturally hesitated about allying
herself to people who, if they could not despise, wo