e good at the wreck, I will try again."

"Barbara is pretty obstinate," Cartwright remarked with a smile, and
then filled Lister's glass. "I must go; but come to the hotel in the
morning. We must talk about the salvage plans."

He went off, but when the boat crossed the harbor he looked back at the
tug with twinkling eyes. Lister was honest and had not asked Barbara to
marry him until he saw some chance of his supporting a wife. Since
Barbara was rich, the thing was amusing. All the same, it was possible
the young fellow must wait. Barbara exaggerated and indulged her
imagination, but she was firm.

CHAPTER VIII

CARTWRIGHT GETS TO WORK

The morning was hot and Barbara, sitting on the hotel veranda, struggled
against a flat reaction. The glitter of the sea hurt her eyes, and the
dust that blew in clouds from the road smeared her white dress. Her
mouth dropped and her pose was languid. To refuse Lister had cost her
much, and although she had done so because she felt she ought, the sense
of having carried out a duty was not remarkably soothing. It was a
relief to know she need not pretend to Cartwright, who occupied a
basket-chair opposite. One could not cheat her step-father by false
cheerfulness.

"When you disappointed Lister you took the prudent line," he said. "The
young fellow has some talent, but he has not yet made his mark. I
approve your caution, and expect your mother will agree."

"I wasn't cautious; I didn't argue at all like that," Barbara declared.
"Besides, I haven't told mother. She mustn't be disturbed."

Cartwright looked thoughtful. To some extent he was sympathetic, and to
some extent amused.

"Then I don't altogether understand why you did refuse!"

"Oh, well," said Barbara, and the blood came to her skin, "for one
thing, Mr. Lister waited for some time, and then asked me to marry him,
after Shillito arrived." She paused and her look got hard when she
resumed: "Perhaps he thought he ought; sometimes he's chivalrous."

Cartwright imagined Barbara was badly hurt, and this accounted for her
frankness.

"Your reasoning isn't very obvious, but I think I see a light," he said.
"It's possible, however, he asked you because he wanted you, and there
is an explanation for his waiting. I understand he hesitated because he
doubted if he could support a wife. It looks as if Mr. Lister didn't
know you were rich."

"He doesn't know; I think I didn't want him to know," Barbara admitted
with some