tion to them by a quick exclamation; but he
made no answer, scarcely showing that he heard.

Noel became aware that the face before him was not only beautiful, but
sad. There were no lines upon it of either care or sorrow, but both were
written in the eyes. These were very remarkable,--almost gold in color,
and shaded by thick lashes, darker even than her dark brown hair. They
were large, well-opened, heavy-lidded; and no wonder was it that, when
he had seen all this, he began to desire to meet their gaze, that he
might thereby know them thoroughly.

The sun sank. People began to complain of the increasing cold, and
gather up wraps and books and move away; but still the man and woman sat
there silent, and Noel did the same. The distant sky was tinted now with
colors as delicate as the flowers of spring,--pink and cream and lilac,
softening to a rich line of deep purple at the horizon. A slight sigh
escaped the woman's lips; and then, as if recollecting herself, she sat
upright, and looked about at the objects near her. Her glance passed
across Noel, and was arrested with a certain amusement on the little
cannon lashed to the side of the deck, which in its cover of white
tarpaulin had evidently given her some diverting thought. Then in the
most hesitating, laboriously constructed English, Noel heard her telling
her companion what it had made her think of. By using a little
imagination with what he heard and saw, he arrived at her meaning. She
was attempting to say that it looked like a child on all fours, trying
to frighten its companion by throwing a table-cloth over its head. There
it was complete,--the head, the hands and feet, the bulky body. Noel
caught her meaning, and smiled involuntarily. It was really wonderfully
like. He controlled his features instantly, however; and, as her gaze
was fixed upon her husband, she did not see him. But her childish idea
had awakened no response in the husband. He simply asked her meaning
over again, and seemed unable to comprehend it, and not sufficiently
interested to make much effort. The few words he uttered proved that
English was his native tongue. One would have said he had the ability,
but not the inclination, to talk, while with her the contrary was
true. Noel, now that he found that she was alive to her immediate
surroundings, got up and moved away. He went and looked out at the
sea-gulls; but all the time he was seeing her eyes, and comparing them
to topaz, to amber, to