This is one of the cases."
"Can you depend on decisions formed so suddenly?"--Dolly was driven by some unaccountable instinct of shyness to lead off from the subject in hand, nearly as it concerned her. And besides, she was too flushed and abashed to deal coolly with any subject.
"_Must_ depend on them," said Sandie, laughing a little at her pretty confusion. "As I told you, there is often no other to be had. And a sailor cannot afford to change his course; he must see to it that he is right at first. Vacillation would be almost worse than anything."
"At that rate, sailors must get a very downright way with them."
"Perhaps. Are you afraid of it?"
"No," said Dolly demurely. "Are you a good sailor?"
Mr. Shubrick laughed out "Do you doubt it?"
"No, not at all," said Dolly, laughing a little herself. "Only you can do so many things--drawing, and speaking so many languages,--I wanted to know if you were good at that too."
"That is one of the necessities of my position, Dolly. A man who cannot sail a ship had better not try to command her."
"I wish you would tell me one thing," said Dolly wistfully.
"I will tell you anything."
"I wish you would tell me how you got your promotion. When I saw you first, you were a midshipman on board the 'Achilles.' Christina told me you had distinguished yourself in the war. How was it?"
Mr. Shubrick gave her a glance of surprise at first, at this very irrelevant propounding of questions; then a gleam came out of his blue eyes, which were not in the least like Mr. St. Leger's blue eyes; but he answered quite gravely.
"You have a right to know, if anybody in the world has; and yet I cannot tell you, Dolly. I did nothing more than hundreds of others; nothing but my duty. Only it happens, that if a man is always doing his duty, now and then there comes a time that draws attention to him, and brings what he does into prominence; and he gets advancement perhaps; but it does not follow that he has done any more than hundreds of others would have done."
"Are there so many men that are 'always doing their duty'?"
"I hope so. I believe so. In naval affairs."
"You have not told me what was the occasion that brought your doings into prominence?"
He glanced at her with a flash in his eyes again.
"Is that pressing just now?"
"Isn't now a good time?" said Dolly, smiling.
"No, for my head is full of something else. I can't tell you how I came to be promoted first. After I was raised to a lieutenancy, I got special credit for disciplining the crew."
"Disciplining?" said Dolly.
"Exercising them in gunnery practice."
"Oh!--I remember how you told me about that in the gun deck of the 'Achilles.'"
"This was on board another ship. Her guns were well served upon an occasion that followed, and honourable mention was made of my services as having led to that result. Now shall I go on?"
"If you have any more to tell."
"I am going no further on that tack. You must come about."
"I suppose," said Dolly quaintly, "I must if you must."
"We were getting too far to leeward. We must come up into the wind a little more, Dolly, and face our difficulties. I think I have found the way out of them. As I understand you, it is quite a matter of uncertainty when, or if ever, Mr. Copley can be induced to leave England."
"Quite uncertain. Even if he promised to-day that he would go next week, I could not be sure but he would change his mind before the day came."
"And so long as he and your mother are here, they need you. Do you see, Dolly, what prospect that opens to us?"
"Yes."
"The only thing to do, is to give me a right to speak in the matter."
"You have a right to speak," said Dolly. "Only"----
"I have no right to speak with authority. You must give me the authority."
"How?" said Dolly shyly.
"There is but one way. Don't you see, if I have the right to say where you shall be, the rest all follows?"
"How can you?" said Dolly.
He took her hand gently. "You must marry me before I go," said he. "It is the only way, Dolly. Don't be startled; you shall have all the time you want to get accustomed to the thought. I am not going to hurry you.
The only difference is, that instead of being married the day I get to you in America, we will have the ceremony performed here, the day I leave you. Not till then, Dolly. But then, of course, you must go to America to meet me; and if I know anything of Mr. and Mrs. Copley, where you must be, they will choose to be also. I think I can get another week or two of leave, so that it will not seem so very sudden."
Dolly had flushed and paled a little. She sat looking on the ground in silence. Mr. Shubrick let her have a while to herself, and then asked her what she thought of his plan?
"I don't know," said Dolly faintly. "I mean," she added,--"perhaps it is the best way. I don't know but it is the only way. I don't believe mother will like it."
"We will talk her over," said the young officer joyfully. "You said _she_ wishes to go home?"
"Oh yes. And I think she will come over to our side, when she knows the reasons."
Sandie bent down and reverently kissed the hand he held.
"Then"---- said Dolly, on whose cheek the flushes were coming and going,--but she did not finish her sentence.
"Then, what?"
"I was thinking to ask, how soon or when you expect your ship to go home?"
"I do not know certainly. Probably I shall be ordered home before Christmas; but it may not be till January."
Dolly was silent again.
"If our plan is carried out, _you_ will go sooner, will you not?"