She looked at me with a certain amount of awe. Evidently the nice possibilities of the art of navigation had not been brought to her attention. I went up several degrees in her respect it seemed because I knew something she did not. Well, she was to find out that I knew many things that she did not—but I must not boast.
“Why, that is wonderful!� she exclaimed.
“Not at all. It is done by seamen every day.�
“Have you ever been there?�
“No,� said I, “I have crossed the South Seas several times but I have never chanced upon that island or in fact sailed anywhere near that latitude or longitude.�
“But you know where it is?�
“Exactly, and if I had my great chart of the South Seas here, I could put my finger upon it and show it to you.�
“What,� she asked, pointing with her own dainty finger in her turn, “is that ring around the island?�
“That will be a coral reef, I take it. They usually are broken at some point so that ships can sail within, but here is a complete circle enclosing the island. There seems to be no entrance anywhere. ’Tis unusual and most strange.�
“Perhaps the man that drew the map made a mistake.�