I did perceive.  At the time the amazing thoroughness with which she had gone into the subject of my own unimportant affairs, the astuteness and knowledge of the world she had shown, and the clearness with which she had put the situation, did not strike me.  Nothing struck me but the alarming sense of my own stupidity, which was as keen as I have ever felt it.  What man in a public position, however humble, has not political enemies?  The image of O’Meara was wafted suddenly before me, disagreeably near, and his face wore the smile of victory.  All of Mr. Cooke’s money could not save me.  My spirits sank as the immediate future unfolded itself, and I even read the article in O’Meara’s organ, the Northern Lights, which was to be instrumental in divesting me of my public trust and fair fame generally.  Yes, if the Celebrity was caught on the other side of Far Harbor, all would be up with John Crocker!  But it would never do to let Miss Thorn discover my discomfiture.

“There is something in what you say,” I replied, with what bravado I could muster.

“A little, I think,” she returned, smiling; “now, what I wish you to do is to make Uncle Fenelon put into Far Harbor.  If he refuses, you can go in in spite of him, since you and Mr. Farrar are the only ones who can sail.  You have the situation in your own hands.”

There was certainly wisdom in this, also.  But the die was cast now, and pride alone was sufficient to hold me to the course I had rashly begun upon.  Pride!  What an awkward thing it is, and more difficult for most of us to swallow than a sponge.

“I thank you for this interest in my welfare, Miss Thorn,” I began.

“No fine speeches, please, sir,” she cut in, “but do as I advise.”

“I fear I cannot.”

“Why do you say that?  The thing is simplicity itself.”

“I should lose my self-respect as a practical joker.  And besides,” I said maliciously, “I started out to have some fun with the Celebrity, and I want to have it.”

“Well,” she replied, rather coolly, “of course you can do as you choose.”

We were passing within a hundred yards of the lighthouse, set cheerlessly on the bald and sandy tip of the point.  An icy silence sat between us, and such a silence is invariably insinuating.  This one suggested a horrible thought.  What if Miss Thorn had warned me in order to save the Celebrity from humiliation?  I thrust it aside, but it returned again and grinned.  Had she not practised insincerity before?  And any one with half an eye could see that she was in love with the Celebrity; even the Fraction had remarked it.  What more natural than, with her cleverness, she had hit upon this means of terminating the author’s troubles by working upon my fears?

Human weakness often proves too much for those of us who have the very best intentions.  Up to now the refrigerator and Mr. Trevor had kept the strictest and most jealous of vigils over Irene.  But at length the senator succumbed to the drowsiness which never failed to attack him at this hour, and he forgot the disrepute of his surroundings in a respectable sleep.  Whereupon his daughter joined us on the forecastle.