"Of course, I expect to find you on the right side, Commodore Kendall," said Grace.
"Certainly I'm always on your side," he replied, becoming astonishingly bold for him.
"Then we are both on Captain Shuffles's side. Who is the officer standing near us?"
It happened to be Master Perth; and Miss Arbuckle called him, intent upon finding some one who was not on the captain's side. Paul, however, did not think it was in accordance with the dignity of the commodore of the squadron to listen to any criticism of the captain's action, and he reluctantly left the pleasant seat he occupied by the side of the young lady. If there was any one on board who hated Shuffles, Perth was he.
"I wanted to get acquainted with you, Mr. Perth; for it seems to me I have not met you before," she began.
"Probably not, Miss Arbuckle, for I was not one of the party who went to Paris and Switzerland with you," replied the second master.
"Indeed!" exclaimed she, understanding, without further explanation, why he was not one of the party, and that he was one of the runaways, though she could not exactly comprehend how he happened to be an officer if he had been a rebel.
"I had the honor to command the Josephine during a portion of the time the ship's company were absent," laughed he, with anything but penitence for his past offences.
"I am very sorry you were not with the others."
"So am I, for one reason—it deprived me of the pleasure of seeing your pretty face for three or four weeks," said Perth, lightly.