got him to talk about Halliburton, and he was surprised to find
that she was well acquainted with the country. At last she said, "I
wonder you do not remember me, Tom;" on which, looking into her face, he
exclaimed, "Why, you are Julia Giffard!"

She acknowledged that such was the case, and that she had gone out to
India with her father, Colonel Giffard, who had been compelled, on
account of ill-health, to visit the Cape, and had been advised to return
home without going back.

"Jack will be delighted to see you," said Tom; "I'll go and find him and
bring him to you, if you will allow me."

Julia replied that she should be very happy to talk about old times with
Captain Rogers, and Tom, after the dance was over, leaving her in her
former seat, hurried off to find his brother.

"I thought it must be her," said Jack; "but yet, as I fancied she was at
home, I concluded that she was only remarkably like herself. She
doesn't look a day older than when I last saw her."

Miss Giffard held out her hand as Jack approached, and they were soon
engaged in an interesting conversation. Jack did not dance with anyone
else during the evening. He promised to call the next morning on
Colonel Giffard, who had not been well enough to come to the ball. The
result of the visit was that Jack offered to convey him and his daughter
to England. As the _Gauntlet_ was to sail immediately, and might hope
to make a quick passage, and the colonel being anxious to arrive at home
as soon as possible, he gladly availed himself of Jack's offer. Julia
seemed very well pleased at the arrangement, and the midshipmen were
delighted when they heard that they were to have a lady on board.

The _Gauntlet_ and _Opal_ sailed the same day. It was to be a race
between steam and wind; at first the trim corvette, with a fair breeze,
distanced her consort, and Archie, who, though still on board the
steamer, retained a natural feeling of pride in his own ship, declared
that she would win.

"Stay a bit, till the wind falls, and we get our fires alight," answered
Tom; "the old kettle will then show how she can go along."

Miss Giffard had not been on board long before the commander's
attentions to her were remarked, and in the midshipmen's berth it was
decided that it was a gone case. Miss Giffard had heard of Jack's
engagement to the beautiful Irish girl, and of his bereavement; and the
sympathy she exhibited quickly melted any ice which might have exis