made her apprehensive and kept her from sensing the pages she turned as she tried to read; but she smiled her disturbance away. Yet a moment later, as Mr. Dunneston passed her once and again on his measured tramp about the deck, she hailed him.
"I am wondering where that rude cabin-mate of yours is, Mr. Dunneston," she said lightly. "See. I let him have his chair moved about here again; but he doesn't seem to care to occupy it."
"Mr. Preston?"
"Yes."
"Oh, but I say, I am sure it is unintentional, Miss Varris!" the Englishman assured. "I say, surely he doesn't mean that. I saw him but a moment back; and really, you know, I am convinced he meant to be here. But he was detained quite unavoidably—oh, entirely unavoidably!"
"But that was what I was fearing, Mr. Dunneston," the girl said. "He was being unavoidably detained—how and why?"
282
