plays their guardian had described to them. Phil, the skeptical, had
seemed inclined to think the story over-drawn, but the girls had
emphatically disagreed with him, overwhelming him by sheer force of
numbers. And way down in Lucile's heart was the hope that she would,
sooner or later, hear the finishing chapter of the romance. Whether this
premonition was inspired partly by her own desire or partly by the fact
that, sooner or later, they would be in France itself, where they would
have the opportunity of following the fortunes of the disconsolate
Frenchman, cannot be determined, but certain it was, the premonition was
there. As she had said to Jessie at the end of a long and excited
discussion the night before, "Stranger things have happened."

And so, in the girl's eyes, and, in fact, in the eyes of all who had
heard his story, even Phil, the stranger had taken on an added
importance, the importance of the chief actor in a romantic drama.

"I would like to help," Lucile murmured, as the Frenchman excused himself
and moved off down the deck. "I never saw any one look so wistful in all
my life."

"No wonder," said Jessie, in the same tone. "If I had been through all he
has, I'd never have lived to tell about it."

"And poor Jeanette!" Lucile mused on. "I'd give almost anything if I
could bring them together again."

Jessie glanced at her friend curiously. "Perhaps you will tell me now
that my dear old novels always exaggerate," she challenged.

"A little more of this sort of thing and I'll be able to believe
anything," Lucile answered, with a rueful smile. "It surely is
wonderful!"

"Oh, Lucy, dear, I may convert you yet," Jessie was crying gleefully,
when she was interrupted by another crowd of fellow-voyagers, who, for
the time being at least, cut her triumph short.

Later came the call to luncheon, and everybody hurried down to the
dining-room, where the atmosphere of excitement and unrest prevailed to
such a degree that people almost forgot to eat, or else bolted their
meals in half the ordinary time, anxious not to miss a moment above
decks.

Then, toward one o'clock in the afternoon, Mrs. Payton advised the girls
to get everything ready, and see that nothing was left in the stateroom.

"We will dock in a few minutes," she explained, "and we don't want to
leave everything until the last instant."

Down rushed the girls to the stateroom obediently, treading on each
other's heels and not even bothering