Claiborne a cigar.

"This is not the most fortunate season for crossing; I am sure to fall
to-morrow. My father and mother hate the sea particularly and have
retired for three days. My sister is the only one of us who is perfectly
immune."

"Yes; I can well image Miss Claiborne in the good graces of the
elements," replied Armitage; and they were silent for several minutes
while a big Russian, who was talking politics in a distant corner with a
very small and solemn German, boomed out his views on the Eastern
question in a tremendous bass.

Dick Claiborne was a good deal amused at finding himself sitting beside
Armitage,--enjoying, indeed, his fellow traveler's hospitality; but
Armitage, he was forced to admit, bore all the marks of a gentleman. He
had, to be sure, followed Shirley about, but even the young man's manner
in this was hardly a matter at which he could cavil. And there was
something altogether likable in Armitage; his very composure was
attractive to Claiborne; and the bold lines of his figure were not wasted
on the young officer. In the silence, while they smoked, he noted the
perfect taste that marked Armitage's belongings, which to him meant more,
perhaps, than the steadiness of the man's eyes or the fine lines of his
face. Unconsciously Claiborne found himself watching Armitage's strong
ringless hands, and he knew that such a hand, well kept though it
appeared, had known hard work, and that the long supple fingers were such
as might guide a tiller fearlessly or set a flag daringly upon a
fire-swept parapet.

Armitage was thinking rapidly of something he had suddenly resolved to