"Slight?" she repeated. "Would you believe it, aunt"--to a portly lady
among those who had approached--"he never misses a murder trial! I
believe he likes to watch the poor fellows fighting for their lives, to
study their faces, their expressions when they're being sentenced,
perhaps, to one of those horrible convict ships!"

"Don't speak of them, my dear Jocelyn!" returned that worthy person,
with a shudder. "When I think of the _Lord Nelson_, and that awful
night--"

"You were three days in an open boat before being sighted and picked up,
I believe, Lady Wray?" observed Captain Forsythe.

"Three days? Years!" returned the governor's wife. "At least, they
seemed so to me! I thought every moment would be our last and goodness
knows why it wasn't! How we managed to survive it--"

"Narrow squeak, certainly!" said Lord Ronsdale, his lids lowering
slightly. "But all's well that ends well, and--"

"Every one behaved splendidly," interposed Sir Charles. "You," gazing
contemplatively at the girl, "were but a child then, Jocelyn."

She did not answer; the beautiful face had abruptly changed; all
laughter had gone from the clear blue eyes.

"She is thinking of the convict who saved her!" observed Sir Charles in
an explanatory tone to Captain Forsythe. "Quite an interesting episode,
'pon honor! Tell you about it later. Never saw anything finer, or
better. And the amazing part of it is, the fellow looked like a brute,