ubject; choosing,
on this occasion, safe professional topics. He spoke of ships that were
ordered on foreign service; and, finding that these as subjects failed
to interest Mrs. Crayford, he spoke next of ships that were ordered home
again. This last experiment produced its effect--an effect which the
captain had not bargained for.

"Do you know," he began, "that the _Atalanta_ is expected back from the
West Coast of Africa every day? Have you any acquaintances among the
officers of that ship?"

As it so happened, he put those questions to Mrs. Crayford while they
were engaged in one of the figures of the dance which brought them
within hearing of the opposite couple. At the same moment--to the
astonishment of her friends and admirers--Miss Clara Burnham threw the
quadrille into confusion by making a mistake! Everybody waited to see
her set the mistake right. She made no attempt to set it right--she
turned deadly pale and caught her partner by the arm.

"The heat!" she said, faintly. "Take me away--take me into the air!"

Lieutenant Crayford instantly led her out of the dance, and took her
into the cool and empty conservatory, at the end of the room. As a
matter of course, Captain Helding and Mrs. Crayford left the quadrille
at the same time. The captain saw his way to a joke.

"Is this the trance coming on?" he whispered. "If it is, as commander
of the Arctic expedition, I have a particular request to make. Will
the Second Sight oblige me by seeing the shortest way to the Northwest
Passage, before we leave England?"

Mrs. Crayford declined to humor the joke. "If you will excuse my leaving
you," she said quietly, "I will try and find out what is the matter with
Miss Burnham."

At the entrance to the conservatory, Mrs. Crayford encountered her
husband. The lieutenant was of middle age, tall and comely. A man with
a winning simplicity and gentleness in his manner, and an irresistible
kindness in his brave blue eyes. In one word, a man whom everybody
loved--including his wife.

"Don't be alarmed," said the lieutenant. "The heat has overcome
her--that's all."

Mrs. Crayford shook her head, and looked at her husband, half
satirically, half fondly.

"You dear old innocent!" she exclaimed, "that excuse may do for _you_.
For my part, I don't believe a word of it. Go and get another partner,
and leave Clara to me."

She entered the conservatory and seated herself by Clara's side.

Chapter 2.

"Now, my dea