r wants to shoot one or
two of those new zebras, and we can easily return here for that purpose.
The fact is that I am beginning to tire a little of shore life, and I
think a trip out to sea would do us all good. What do the rest say?"

"So far as I am concerned I will gladly go anywhere, or do anything, for
Ida's sake," answered Lethbridge.

"Thanks, old chap; I know you will," said Sir Reginald. "What say you,
Colonel?"--to Sziszkinski--"would you like to go with us, or would you
prefer to remain here until our return, and go in for shooting under the
aegis of our friend Lobelalatutu?"

"Thank you very much, Sir Reginald, for offering me the choice,"
answered the Russian. "I prefer to accompany you. I am quite of your
own opinion, that a change will do us all good; and, like my friend,
Monsieur Lethbridge, I will gladly go anywhere and do anything for the
sake of the charming little Mademoiselle Ida."

"And you, Mademoiselle?" asked Sir Reginald, turning to Mildmay's
companion.

"I?" she answered. "Oh, Monsieur Edouard--Sir Reginald, I mean--I am so
happy on board this beautiful ship that I feel I shall never want to
leave her. Please accept papa's answer as mine also."

"I am really very much obliged to you all for so cheerfully and readily
falling in with my wishes," said Sir Reginald. "Very well, then; it is
settled that we go to sea for a week or two, as the mood takes us. Now,
the next question is, Where shall we go? We certainly ought to have
some definite objective, don't you think? Does any one desire to go
anywhere in particular?"

There was silence for a minute or two. Apparently no one wished to go
anywhere in particular; or, if they did, they were not sufficiently
eager to feel called upon to mention the fact.

At length Lady Olivia looked up.

"Has nobody a suggestion to make?" she asked, with a smile. "Then I
will make one that I think will be sympathetically received by at least
one of us--yourself, my dear Feodorovna. I have long had the wish to
possess a really fine set of pearls, not the kind that one can go into
any jeweller's shop and buy, you know, but something quite out of the
common; and it appears to me that this voyage of ours affords just the
opportunity for somebody to fish those pearls up for me from the bottom
of the sea. And I dare say that your papa--or somebody else--would be
quite willing to do the same for you, dear. What do you say?"

"What do I say?" repe