will lock me up, to keep the rich miners from laying their bags of
gold dust at my feet; and Mrs. Brimmer and Miss Chubb assure me that I
haven't a decent gown to go ashore in."
"You forget Mr. Hurlstone," said Brace, with ill-concealed bitterness;
"he seems to have time enough on his hands, and I dare say would
sympathize with you. You women like idle men."
"If we do, it's because only the idle men have the time to amuse us,"
retorted Miss Keene. "But," she added, with a laugh, "I suppose I'm
getting nervous and fidgety myself; for I find myself every now and
then watching the officers and men, and listening to the orders as if
something were going to happen again. I never felt so before; I never
used to have the least concern in what you call 'the working of the
ship,' and now"--her voice, which had been half playful, half pettish,
suddenly became grave,--"and now--look at the mate and those men
forward. There certainly is something going on, or is going to happen.
What ARE they looking at?"
The mate had clambered halfway up the main ratlines, and was looking
earnestly to windward. Two or three of the crew on the forecastle were
gazing in the same direction. The group of cabin-passengers on the
quarterdeck, following their eyes, saw what appeared to be another low
shore on the opposite bow.
"Why, there's another coast there!" said Mrs. Markham.
"It's a fog-bank," said Senor Perkins gravely. He quickly crossed the
deck, exchanged a few words with the officer, and returned. Miss Keene,
who had felt a sense of relief, nevertheless questioned his face as he
again stood beside her. But he had recovered his beaming cheerfulness.
"It's nothing to alarm you," he said, answering her glance, "but it may
mean delay if we can't get out of it. You don't mind that, I know."
"No," replied the young girl, smiling. "Besides, it would be a new
experience. We've had winds and calms--we only want fog now to complete
our adventures. Unless it's going to make everybody cross," she
continued, with a mischievous glance at Brace.
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