Shortly after nine o'clock he left the bridge and walked along the deck. The party was breaking up. Miss Howland had sauntered away from the group, and was leaning over the rail with her chin resting on her hands.
"Good-evening, Miss Howland," said Dan, pausing.
Virginia looked up quickly, and then resumed her former position.
"I don't know whether I ought to be nice to you or not, Captain Merrithew," she said.
Something in her voice gave Dan encouragement to make his reply.
"Won't you please try to be? In less than four days now you will be ashore—and then you'll probably never have any more opportunities."
The girl settled her chin more deeply into her palms.
"But you have not been nice. You have been horrid, ever since we left San Blanco."
Here was a phase of feminine character which Dan, not knowing, had not reckoned upon. However, he instinctively said the tactful thing.
"I—I am sorry. I thought I was pleasing you."