t--I am certain of it--when the sailor was thrown into the
sea. For all I know, he may have been the man who did it."

Natalie started back in horror.

"Oh, Launce! Launce! that is too bad. You may not like Richard--you may
treat Richard as your enemy. But to say such a horrible thing of him as
that--It's not generous. It's not like _you_."

"If you had seen him, you would have said it too. I mean to make
inquiries--in your father's interests as well as in ours. My brother
knows one of the Commissioners of Police, and my brother can get it done
for me. Turlington has not always been in the Levant trade--I know that
already."

"For shame, Launce! for shame!"

The footsteps on deck were audible coming back. Natalie sprang to the
door leading into the cabin. Launce stopped her, as she laid her hand on
the lock. The footsteps went straight on toward the stern of the vessel.
Launce clasped both arms round her. Natalie gave way.

"Don't drive me to despair!" he said. "This is my last opportunity. I
don't ask you to say at once that you will marry me, I only ask you to
think of it. My darling! my angel! will you think of it?"

As he put the question, they might have heard (if they had not been
too completely engrossed in each other to listen) the footsteps
returning--one pair of footsteps only this time. Natalie's prolonged
absence had begun to surprise her aunt, and had roused a certain vague
distrust in Richard's mind. He walked back again along the deck by
himself. He looked absently in the main cabin as he passed it. The
store-room skylight came next. In his present frame of mind, would he
look absently into the store-room too?

"Let me go!" said Natalie.

Launce only answered, "Say yes," and held her as if he would never let
her go again.

At the same moment Miss Lavinia's voice rose shrill from the deck
calling for Natalie. There was but one way of getting free from him. She
said, "I'll think of it." Upon that, he kissed her and let her go.

The door had barely closed on her when the lowering face of Richard
Turlington appeared on a level with the side of the sky-light, looking
down into the store-room at Launce.

"Halloo!" he called out roughly. "What are you doing in the steward's
room?"

Launce took up a box of matches on the dresser. "I'm getting a light,"
he answered readily.

"I allow nobody below, forward of the main cabin, without my leave. The
steward has permitted a breach of discipline on boa