"I wish I knew whether the Florence was at the boathouse," continued Florry. "He said he was going out in the boat; but perhaps he did not. Perhaps he is with father."
"There is the front-door bell," added Mrs. Passford, with a start. "It cannot be your father or Christy, for both of them have latch-keys. Who could come here at this time in the evening?"
"Mr. Paul Vapoor," said the man-servant, who answered the bell.
The gentleman announced walked into the sitting-room without any ceremony, for he had long been a familiar visitor. He was dressed in the full uniform of a chief engineer of the navy. Removing his cap, he politely bowed to the two ladies; and any one who was looking might have seen that Miss Florry blushed a little when she saw him; and very likely if Major Pierson had witnessed the roses on her fair cheek, he might possibly have concluded that it would have been useless to postpone the capture of the Bellevite to enable him to fortify his position near her.
"I beg your pardon, ladies, for calling so late," said Mr. Vapoor, as he drew a long envelope from his pocket. "But I thought Christy might wish to see what is in this envelope before he retired."
"Why, what is in it?" asked Mrs. Passford.
"Christy's commission as a midshipman in the navy."
"But Christy is not at home, and we are somewhat anxious about him," added the mother, stating the facts in regard to her son.
Paul Vapoor volunteered to go in search of him, and left the house.