“I am waiting to encourage her, captain, until she is left alone with me—­after you have all sailed for the Arctic seas.  In the meantime, will you consider what I have said to you as intended for your ear only?  And will you forgive me, if I own that the turn the subject has taken does not tempt me to pursue it any further?”

The captain took the hint.  He instantly changed the subject; choosing, on this occasion, safe professional topics.  He spoke of ships that were ordered on foreign service; and, finding that these as subjects failed to interest Mrs. Crayford, he spoke next of ships that were ordered home again.  This last experiment produced its effect—­an effect which the captain had not bargained for.

“Do you know,” he began, “that the Atalanta is expected back from the West Coast of Africa every day?  Have you any acquaintances among the officers of that ship?”

As it so happened, he put those questions to Mrs. Crayford while they were engaged in one of the figures of the dance which brought them within hearing of the opposite couple.  At the same moment—­to the astonishment of her friends and admirers—­Miss Clara Burnham threw the quadrille into confusion by making a mistake!  Everybody waited to see her set the mistake right.  She made no attempt to set it right—­she turned deadly pale and caught her partner by the arm.

“The heat!” she said, faintly.  “Take me away—­take me into the air!”

Lieutenant Crayford instantly led her out of the dance, and took her into the cool and empty conservatory, at the end of the room.  As a matter of course, Captain Helding and Mrs. Crayford left the quadrille at the same time.  The captain saw his way to a joke.

“Is this the trance coming on?” he whispered.  “If it is, as commander of the Arctic expedition, I have a particular request to make.  Will the Second Sight oblige me by seeing the shortest way to the Northwest Passage, before we leave England?”

Mrs. Crayford declined to humor the joke.  “If you will excuse my leaving you,” she said quietly, “I will try and find out what is the matter with Miss Burnham.”

At the entrance to the conservatory, Mrs. Crayford encountered her husband.  The lieutenant was of middle age, tall and comely.  A man with a winning simplicity and gentleness in his manner, and an irresistible kindness in his brave blue eyes.  In one word, a man whom everybody loved—­including his wife.

“Don’t be alarmed,” said the lieutenant.  “The heat has overcome her—­that’s all.”

Mrs. Crayford shook her head, and looked at her husband, half satirically, half fondly.

“You dear old innocent!” she exclaimed, “that excuse may do for you.  For my part, I don’t believe a word of it.  Go and get another partner, and leave Clara to me.”

She entered the conservatory and seated herself by Clara’s side.

Chapter 2.