Page:A strange, sad comedy (IA strangesadcomedy00seawiala).pdf/109

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A STRANGE, SAD COMEDY
97

"Yes," answered Letty, who was instantly armed with the whole panoply of coquetry, "lovely. I sat out on deck two hours with Sir Archy."

"That was a pretty good stretch for a fellow. There are very few girls who can hold a man's attention that long, and it's rather a dangerous thing to try," said Farebrother, with calm assurance.

"We had a very interesting time," answered Letty, stiffly.

"Oh, yes, I know how an Englishman talks to a girl by moonlight. Tells her about sheep farming, or how he hooked a salmon in the Highlands, or killed a pig in India."

"Our conversation was a little on that order," replied Letty, weakly. "But it is a relief to meet with a man who can withstand the influences of the moon and talk sense."

"I never could," said Farebrother, and then he asked for Miss Jemima and the rest of the party. Letty explained that Mr. Romaine and the Chessinghams preferred their meals in their rooms, and the Colonel proposed the same thing to her, but she objected, first, because she liked the liveliness of the public dining-room, and secondly, because it cost