‘To be married—­at Havre,’ cried Maulevrier.  ’An appropriate place.  A sailor has a wife in every port, don’t you know.’

‘We had better go down to the cabin,’ said Hartfield, laying his hand upon his friend’s shoulder.  ’If Lady Lesbia will be good enough to come with us we can tell her all that we have to tell quietly there.’

Lord Hartfield’s tone was unmistakeable.  Everything was known.

‘You can talk at your ease here,’ said Montesma, facing the two men with a diabolical recklessness and insolence of manner.  ’Not one of these fellows on board knows a dozen sentences of English.’

’I would rather talk below, if it is all the same to you, Senor; and I should be glad to speak to Lady Lesbia alone.’

‘That you shall not do unless she desires it,’ answered Montesma.

’No, he shall hear all that you have to say.  He shall hear how I answer you,’ said Lesbia.

Lord Hartfield shrugged his shoulders.

‘As you please,’ he said.  ’It will make the disclosure a little more painful than it need have been; but that cannot be helped.’

CHAPTER XLIV.

‘OH, SAD KISSED MOUTH, HOW SORROWFUL IT IS!’

They all went down to the saloon, where Lady Kirkbank sat, looking the image of despair, which changed to delighted surprise at sight of Lord Hartfield and his friend.

’Did you give your consent to my sister’s elopement with this man, Lady Kirkbank?’ Maulevrier asked, brusquely.

’I give my consent!  Good gracious! no.  He has eloped with me ever so much more than with your sister.  She knew all about it, I’ve no doubt:  but the wretch ran away with me in my sleep.’

’I am glad, for your own self-respect, that you had no hand in this disgraceful business,’ replied Maulevrier; and then turning to Lord Hartfield, he said, ’Hartfield, will you tell my sister who and what this man is?  Will you make her understand what kind of pitfall she has escaped?  Upon my soul, I cannot speak of it.’

’I recognise no right of Lord Hartfield’s to interfere with my actions, and I will hear nothing that he may have to say,’ said Lesbia, standing by her lover’s side, with head erect and eyes dark with anger.

’Your sister’s husband has the strongest right to control your actions, Lady Lesbia, when the family honour is at stake,’ answered Hartfield, with grave authority.  ’Accept me at least as a member of your family, if you will not accept me as your disinterested and devoted friend.’

‘Friend!’ echoed Lesbia, scornfully.  ’You might have been my friend once.  Your friendship then would have been of some value to me, if you had told me the truth, instead of approaching me with a lie upon your lips.  You talk of honour, Lord Hartfield; you, who came to my grandmother’s house as an impostor, under a false name!’

’I went there as a man standing on his own merits, assuming no rank save that which God gave him among his fellow-men, claiming to be possessed of no fortune except intellect and industry.  If I could not win a wife with such credentials, it were better for me never to marry at all, Lady Lesbia.  But we have no time to speak of the past.  I am here as your brother’s friend, here to save you.’