'You are joking, Miss Beresford.'
'Oh no, I am not,' said Nan, hastily. 'Sir George told me to-night; I am not joking at all——Captain King,' said she, at a wild venture.
For an instant she saw his under lip quiver. He sat quite silent.
Then he said—
'That is Sir George's doing—if it is possible.'
He had scarcely uttered the words when the Admiral himself appeared, bringing in a little old lady with a portentous head-dress. Nan instantly conjectured that she must be a dowager-duchess, for she thought that no one but a dowager-duchess would dare to wear such a thing.
Sir George paused as he passed them.
'Hillo, here's my sweetheart. I told you I wanted to drink a glass of wine with you. Doing your duty, Frank King? When's your leave out?'
'I am going down to Portsmouth to-morrow, Sir George.'
'No, no; you'll have a message from the Admiralty to-morrow. I didn't see you dancing to-night; you young fellows are getting lazy.'
He passed on. Nan looked triumphantly across the corner of the table.
Frank King said—laughing off his embarrassment—