to plant
a little stab in Ellen's breast. "To be sure, now Mr. Breckon has found
those friends of his, I suppose he won't want to flirt with Ellen any
more."

"Ah, ha, ha!" Boyne broke in. "Lottie is mad because he stopped to speak
to some ladies he knew. Women, I suppose she'd call them."

"Well, I shouldn't call him a gentleman, anyway," said Lottie.

The pretty, smooth-faced, fresh-faced young fellow whom their varying
debate had kept in abeyance, looked round at them over his shoulder as
he leaned on the rail, and seemed to discover Boyne for the first time.
He came promptly towards the Kentons.

"Now," said Lottie, rapidly, "you'll just HAVE to."

The young fellow touched his cap to the whole group, but he ventured to
address only Boyne.

"Every one seems to be about this morning," he said, with the cheery
English-rising infection.

"Yes," answered Boyne, with such snubbing coldness that Ellen's heart
was touched.

"It's so pleasant," she said, "after that dark weather."

"Isn't it?" cried the young fellow, gratefully. "One doesn't often get
such sunshine as this at sea, you know."

"My sister, Miss Kenton, Mr. Pogis," Boyne solemnly intervened. "And
Miss Lottie Kenton."

The pretty boy bowed to each in turn, but he made no pretence of
being there to talk with Ellen. "Have you been ill, too?" he actively
addressed himself to Lottie.

"No, just mad," she said. "I wasn't very sick, and that made it all the
worse being down in a poky state-room when I wanted to walk."

"And I suppose you've been making up for lost time this morning?"

"Not half," said Lottie.

"Oh, do finish the half with me!"

Lottie instantly rose, and flung her sister the wrap she had been
holding ready to shed from the moment the young man had come up. "Keep
that for me, Nell. Are you good at catching?" she asked him.

"Catching?"

"Yes! People," she explained, and at a sudden twist of the ship she made
a clutch at his shoulder.

"Oh! I think I can catch you."

As they moved off together, Boyne said, "Well, upon my word!" but Ellen
did not say anything in comment on Lottie. After a while she asked, "Who
were the ladies that Mr. Breckon met?"

"I didn't hear their names. They were somebody he hadn't seen before
since the ship started. They looked like a young lady and her mother.
It made Lottie mad when he stopped to speak with them, and she wouldn't
wait till he could get through. Ran right away, and made me come, too."