a woman of degraded tastes. Would it be possible to
change cabins?

"Bless you, my lamb. _I_ won't sully your little mind!"

The kind, motherly voice spoke in such apt response to the inner
thought, that Katrine jumped in her skin. She turned, rosy and shy,
half-angry, half-ashamed, and saw a wrinkled hand held out towards her.

"There! That's agreed--I like you. Right sort of girl. Don't you
worry! You might do a lot worse than have old Nance Mannering as a
companion. I've lived east of Suez too long not to be able to adapt
myself to my company. You'll get no contamination from me, and what's
more, I'll protect you from getting it elsewhere. You have a word with
me, my dear, before you take up with any of these boys, and I'll put you
on your guard. Poor lot, most of them; drinking and gambling..."

"I don't think I shall `take up' with any one, thank you. A
fellow-officer of my host in India is to join the ship at Port Said, and
will look after me for the rest of the voyage. He is not a very young
man, but I'm told he is nice. I expect to enjoy his society. There's
only one man I've seen on board who interests me at all. The one with
the cape, who looks so ill."

"Vernon Keith. Artist. Rather a big wig in his way, or promised to be,
a year or two since. Consumption of course,--_and_ his own folly!
Going this voyage for health, if it please you! The mad folly of
doctors to allow a man in that condition to start out on such a
crack-brained expedition, mewed up among hundreds of people, scattering
poison wherever he goes! Sea air is all very well, but what about the
smoke-room, eh? What about the bars? Temptation waiting on every hand,
and no one to say him nay. The passengers steer clear of him, and no
wonder. By ten o'clock at night--"

"Perhaps," said Katrine quickly, "if people did _not_ steer clear,
things might be different. _I_ shan't, if I get the chance. He is ill
and weak, and I'm sure he is sad. He looked _miserable_ this morning,
pacing up and down alone. Isn't it rather Pharisaical to stand aside
because a man is ill, and--weak?"

The spectacled eyes twinkled humorously.

"Well, well, he'll be pleased enough, no doubt, but don't be too kind,
and raise expectations which can't be fulfilled! Port Said's ahead--and
the nice man!"

"And--Jim!" added Katrine softly to herself. When the dusk fell, she
stood for an hour leaning over the rail, watching the phosphorescent
glo