" a voice near her asked. An
unceremonious address, certainly; frankly put; but the voice was not
unkindly or uncivil, and Dolly was not sensitive on the point of
personal dignity. She brought her eyes down for a moment far enough to
see the shimmer of gold lace on a midshipman's cap, and answered,

"I am looking at that man. He's going up and up, to the top of
everything. I should think his head would turn."

"Yours will, if you look after him with your head in that position."

Dolly let her eyes come now to the speaker's face. One of the young
midshipmen it was, standing near her, with his arms folded and leaning
upon something which served as a support to them, and looking down at
Dolly. For standing so and leaning over, he was still a good deal
taller than she. Further, Dolly observed a pair of level brows, beneath
them a pair of wise-looking, cognisance-taking blue eyes, an expression
of steady calm, betokening either an even temperament or an habitual
power of self-control; and just now in the eyes and the mouth there was
the play almost of a smile somewhat merry, wholly kindly. It took
Dolly's confidence entirely and at once.

"You don't think you would like to be a sailor?" he went on.

"Is it pleasant?" said Dolly, retorting the question earnestly and
doubtfully.

The smile broke a little more on the other's face. "How do you like the
ship?" he asked.

"I do not know," said Dolly, glancing along the deck. "I think it is a
strange place to live."

"Why?"

"And I don't understand the use of it," Dolly went on with a really
puzzled face.

"The use of what?"

"The use of the whole thing. I know what ships are good for, of course;
other ships; but what is the use of such a ship as this?"

"To take care of the other ships."

"How?"

"Have you been below? Did you see the gun decks?"

"I was in a place where there were a great many guns--but I could not
understand, and there was nobody to tell me things."

"Would you like to go down there again?"

"Oh yes!" said Dolly. "They will be a good while at lunch yet. Oh,
thank you! I should like so much to go."

The young midshipman took her hand; perhaps he had a little sister at
home and the action was pleasant and familiar; it seemed to be both;
and led her down the way that took them to the upper gun deck.

"How comes it you are not taking lunch too?" he asked by the way.

"Oh, there are too many of them," said Dolly contentedly. "I don't
care. I