158 HARK FORRARD! 



' Of course I do ; and then, somehow, the 

 latter half of it you and she seemed to drift 

 apart, and didn't appear to be half such pals 

 towards the finish.' 



' That's true enough ; she was always mak- 

 ing some confounded excuse or another to get 

 away if she and I happened to be alone together. 

 She was all right if you and I were both there, 

 but directly we were left alone she either 

 wanted to find those blessed children, or the 

 captain, or somebody. So I naturally thought 

 she did not mean to have anything to say to 

 me ; but by Gad, Alfred, I will tell you now I 

 loved her before we had been two days on 

 board, and I love her now, and I shall never be 

 happy till I get her.' 



/ A la Pears' soap, eh ? However, as that 

 is an absolute impossibility for me, I mean to do 

 the next best thing, and get her for you. I 

 have quite made up my mind that it is far 

 better to have her for a pal than never to see 

 her again.' 



' That is just the difference between you 



