n. At all
events, Sedley's the man to answer this."

Half pushing Jack out of the room while he deposited the box in his
hands, Cutbill at last sent him off, not very willingly indeed, or
concurringly, but like one who, in spite of himself, saw he was obliged
to take a particular course, and travel a road without the slightest
suspicion of where it led to.

CHAPTER LXV. THE LIGHT STRONGER.

"Sedley asks for the best Italian scholar amongst us," said Augustus the
next morning, at breakfast, "and the voice of public opinion calls upon
you, Julia."

"You know what Figaro said of 'common report.' I'll not repeat it," said
she, laughing, "and I 'll even behave as if I did n't believe it. And
now what is wanted of me, or my Italian scholarship?"

"The matter is thus: Sedley has received some papers"--here a look of
intelligence passed between Augustus and Jack--"which he imagines may
be of consequence, but being in Italian, he can't read them. He needs a
translator--"

"I am equal to that," broke she in, "but why don't we do it in
committee, as you political people call it? Five heads are better than
one."

"Mr Sedley is absolute, and will have but one."

"And am I to be closeted for a whole morning with Mr. Sedley? I declare
it seems compromising. Jack frowns at me. There is nothing so prudish as
a sailor. I wish any one would tell me why it is so."

"Well, the matter is as you have stated it," said Augustus. "Mr. Sedley
says, 'Let me have the aid of some one who will not grudge me two hours,
mayhap three. '"

"What if the documents should turn out love-letters?"

"Julia! Julia!" cried Jack, reprovingly; for in reality her sallies kept
him in constant anxiety.

"I can't help it, Jack; I must be prudent, even if I shock you by my
precautions. I repeat, if these be love-letters?"

"Well, I can answer so far," said Augustus. "They are not,--at least, I
can almost assert they are not."

"I wish Nelly would go," said Julia, with mock seriousness. "I see Jack
is wretched about it; and, after all, Mr. Sedley, though not exactly a
young man--"

"I declare this is too bad," said Jack, rising angrily from the table,
and then throwing himself back in his chair, as in conflict with his own
temper.

"She _is_ provoking, there is no doubt of it, and on board ship we 'd
not stand that sort of thing five minutes," said Julia, with a demure
air; "but on land, and amongst terrestrial creatures, Master Jack, I
know