ll, at least I never locked myself in to get away from a pirate,"
Charles retorted.

The captain stood up with a chuckle. "Say, that reminds me." He went to
a bookcase, opened a thick volume, and gave it to Charles. "I want you
to read something here."

Charles saw that it was _Jane's Dictionary of Space Transportation_. He
looked up enquiringly.

The captain was pointing at a word.

"'_Pirate_,'" Charles read, sounding puzzled. "'Pirate, originally a
criminal who attacked and robbed ships at sea (see: Earth, planet) now
obsolete in this sense. At present, term applied to--'" Charles
hesitated--"'to persons engaged in space salvage, especially to captains
of vessels employed in such work.'"

Charles turned red. Betty flushed. Cousin Aurelia started laughing her
head off.

"Times change," the captain said soberly. "Do you want me to show you my
license?"

The Buttons were much too embarrassed to answer.

"Well, if you don't, I hope you'll excuse us. Aurelia and I would like
to sit in the swing and look at the stars for a while."

"I want to be told just how far away Boston is," she said as he helped
her to rise. She wrinkled her nose. "I'm certainly glad that here on
Sugar Plum we're safe from the wrong kind of people--all those horrible
Victorians."

The captain's arm went around her.

He winked at the Buttons.

"A few of them weren't so bad," he said gently. "A few of the real
ones."

And, as they left, he slipped the copy of _Sonnets from the Portuguese_
into his pocket.

"Well, now that we've sort of lost Cousin Aurelia," said Betty, "I wish
I could have one of these adorable animals on Sugar Plum for my very
own. As a pet, you know. It might help as a substitute for Cousin
Aurelia's company."

"And what's wrong with me for a substitute?" Charles wanted to know. "It
seems to me that you can forget Cousin Aurelia for a change and give me
a little consideration."

She looked at him appraisingly and then at her watch.

"I never thought of that," she said. "It's time for bed."

* * * * *

Later, she sat up, studied him hard for a moment, and shook her head
wistfully.

"Oh, Charles, you'd be perfect," she said, "if you only had lavender
ears."

"That shouldn't be much trouble," he answered gravely. "I'll signal a
passing spaceship, get to New Texas and have my ears tattooed. Good
enough?"

She nuzzled against his neck.

"Wonderful, darling. It would make you