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Sir Charles and your cousin have been ordered to England. Sir Charles thinks a knighthood might be arranged.

Then you would be Lady Morgan, and you would be rich."

Elizabethmused: "I only saw him once, for a moment, and then I don't think I quite liked him. He was excited and red. But he was very respectful and gentle. I think he wanted to be friends with me, but my father-you know how Papa was. Perhaps he would make a good husband," she said.

"My dear, any man makes a good husband if he is properly looked after."

"Yes, it might be the best way out. I am tired of being pitied for my poverty. But with this new popularity, do you think he would notice me? He might be too proud to marry a penniless cousin."

"Dear Elizabeth," Lady Moddyford said firmly, "don't you know by now that almost any woman can marry almost any man as long as some other woman doesn't interfere? And I shall arrange matters so that no one will get in your way. You may trust me for that."

Elizabethhad made up her mind. "I know; I shall play for him. I have heard how music affects these fierce men. I shall play him my new pieces-'The Elves' Concourse,' and 'God Bears the Weary Soul to Rest.' "

"No," broke in Lady Moddyford. "No, I wouldn't do that if I were you. He might not like fine music.

There are better ways."

"But you said those pieces were very pretty; you said it yourself. And haven't I read how music soothes men until they can hardly bear it?"

"Very well, my dear; play for him, then, if you will. Perhaps he-But play for him. Such things may run in the family-the love of music, I mean. Of course, you know, you must admire him and at the same time be a little afraid of him. Make him feel that you are a poor, helpless little creature completely hemmed in with tigers. But you must arrange it in your own way. You have a good start, for you may appeal to him for protection from the beginning."

She sighed, "I don't know what we should do without protection. I don't know when Sir Charles would have proposed to me. The dear was frightened out of his life to begin. One afternoon we sat on a bench and I positively searched the landscape for something to frighten me. We must have been there three hours before a little water-snake ambled along the path and terrified me into his arms. No, I can't think what we should do without protection. Sir Charles has a man in the garden all the time looking for snakes. And do you know, I have always liked snakes. I had three of them for pets when I was a little girl."

The next morning Lady Moddyford brought them together, and, as soon as she gracefully could, left them alone.

Elizabethlooked fearfully at her cousin.

"You have done great, terrible things on the ocean, Captain Morgan-enough to freeze one thinking about them," she said falteringly.

"The deeds were not great, nor very dreadful. Nothing is as good or as bad as the telling of it."

And he thought, "I was wrong about her-very wrong. She is not supercilious at all. It must have been her father-the devil-who gave me a wrong impression of her. She is quite nice."