"Rather hard upon the legal profession," said Leicester, with a smile. "I thought of being a lawyer myself once," he added.
"And why were you not?" said Violet, trying to speak with coquettish indifference.
"Too lazy," he said. "My new trade will suit me best, I think."
"Your new trade!" said Violet, leaning forward and stroking her horse, "and may I inquire what that may be?"
"Oh, yes," said Leicester. "There is no patent connected with it. I am going to turn traveler—not commercial traveler, for that, I am afraid, I have not head enough—but traveler and explorer. I am suddenly filled with a vast longing to see what Central Africa is like."
"You might do worse," said the captain. "But you can certainly do better; don't you think so, Miss Violet?"
Now, if he had let her alone, Violet would have broken down.
Tears had already formed in her sweet, truthful eyes.
But his question was, what he had intended it should be, an appeal to her pride, and, summoning all her presence of mind, she choked back the tears and said bravely, with a little smile:
"Mr. Leicester is the best judge of that. I think there is a great charm in novelty, and even Africa is not too far off to go in search of it."