ng business in Barcelona, and we were engaged
to be married last year."

"Did you see her last in Barcelona?"

"No, in England, last year. I met her in London."

"Have you not seen her since?"

"No. We have corresponded ever since, and this marriage was arranged
by letter."

"Oh, but you're not married yet?" said Katie, in a low voice.

"No," said Harry, "and Heaven only knows when we ever shall be."

"Why?"

"Oh, well--because there's been such a muddle about it all. You see,
I proposed, and was accepted, in the usual course of things."

"Ah, now, Mr. Rivers," said Katie, "that's not fair!"

"Fair! what isn't fair?"

"Why, you're skipping all the best part."

"The best part? I don't understand."

"Well, I mean you're leaving out all the love parts. I want to hear
all about your love affair--how you first saw her; how you felt; how
she treated you; how you were tormented by the pangs of jealousy,
agitated by hope and fear, until you knew that she was yours. And you
have the heart to skip all this and go on to the stupid, commonplace
end of it!"

Harry laughed.

"Well," said he, "the end of my case has not yet come; and the
farther on I go the more exciting it grows. But I'll tell you all if
you want me to. Shall I begin at the beginning, and tell you how I
first became acquainted with her?"

"Yes, yes, do!" said Katie, eagerly.

"Well, it was at sea, in a tremendous gale, when we both were face to
face with death."

At this Katie threw up her eyes, clasped her hands, and exclaimed,

"Oh, how perfectly _ex_quisite! how utterly delicious! how quite too
awfully jolly! But when? where? Oh, _do_ go on!"

"It was aboard the steamer from Marseilles to Leghorn. During the
night after leaving a furious storm arose. The steamer was an old
rattletrap, and soon began to leak fearfully. I was in my berth,
trying to sleep, when at last I was roused by a yell from all the
crew and passengers. I rushed out and on deck, and saw the sea all
breaking in foam over the vessel. The passengers and crew were all
mixed up in a wild, confused mass, trying to scramble into the boats.
This was made visible by the lightning flashes at intervals, after
which everything would become as black as night. I saw that nothing
could be done, so I took my station near the mizzen shrouds, and held
on there, waiting for the end. While here I saw a female figure
crouching down under the bulwarks and clinging there. Partly out of
pity