iar with India and its people, they desired to freshen
their memory among the books.

Miss Blanche was walking the deck with Louis on one side of her, and Sir
Modava on the other. All the ladies had declared over and over again that
the latter was a very fascinating man; but he was a person of discernment,
and he could not very well help seeing that the young millionaire had a
special interest in the beautiful young lady.

Like a small boy, the young couple ate sugar because they liked it, and not
to swell the saccharine importance of the article, and probably never gave
a thought to the natural results of their daily intimacy. It is absolutely
certain that they had never indulged in any actual "spooning;" for Louis
had never proceeded far enough to call the fair maiden by her given name,
without "Miss" before it, precisely as everybody else in the cabin did.
They were entirely respectful to each other, and she invariably addressed
him as Mr. Belgrave.

[Illustration: "Miss Blanche was walking the deck with Louis and Sir
Modava."--Page 90.]

They were not as familiar as brother and sister, and doubtless neither of
them reasoned over the situation, or considered to what it might lead.
Though Miss Blanche was with Louis most of the time when they were on deck,
and walked and rode with him when they were on shore, she was just as kind
and pleasant with all the members of the "Big Four;" and when Louis was
engaged in a special study, as when he was preparing his "talk for the
conference," Scott or Felix found a chance for a promenade with her. But
everybody else on board understood the situation better than those the most
intimately concerned. But no one had any objection, not even Mrs. Belgrave
or the parents of Miss Blanche.

At half-past three in the afternoon the signal was given for the meeting in
Conference Hall. The ladies would have been glad to hear Sir Modava again;
but the commander invited the speakers, and kept his own counsels, so that
the party did not know whom they were to hear first.

"There is still a great deal to be said about India, and I am trying to
dispose of some of the dryest subjects first. Dr. Ferrolan has very
unselfishly consented to make a martyr of himself in the treatment of one
of these topics, though I hope another time to assign him something more to
his mind. Dr. Ferrolan."

This gentleman was received almost as enthusiastically as the handsome
Hindu; for the Americans were dispo