at midnight the guests went up on deck. it was cool, but a heavenly night, the stars like diamonds, and the sea rolling gently; the yacht sped swiftly onward, throwing aside the water with a faint, lulling splash, as of a fountain. warm wraps were brought, and the guests sat conversing and gazing out over the water; afterward some of them rose in couples and began pacing up and down the deck. mr. robert van rensselaer, the host, was with miss paragon, the "ravissante"; but it was not very long before miss paragon felt chilly, and so the two went down into the main saloon.

a wonderful apartment was the great saloon of the comet; but we have to do with only the oriental corner of it, with its divans, its precious silks and draperies, and its lamp, with the faint, soft glow. miss paragon, a dark, languishing brunette,[54] with long, black lashes and a seductive gaze, sank down upon the divan with a sigh. she was clad in glowing red, a soft filmy stuff of wonderful beauty; and with her snowy arms and her perfect neck and shoulders, she made a picture not to be gazed upon too steadily. and mr. robert van rensselaer bent toward her in soft conversation, feeding his hungry eyes; mr. van rensselaer had drunk a great deal of his own precious wine.

there were those who did not see the idyllic side of this affair, who did not think of miss paragon as the tender, soft-hearted young person, but who believed that she knew quite well what she was doing. certainly robbie was not going in with his eyes shut, having argued the subject out with his father. miss paragon was hardly up to his standard, financially; but then robbie argued that he was by this time wealthy enough himself to count beauty as something.

so his voice became lower and lower, and his words more and more tender; and[55] miss paragon gazed upon him languishingly, until at last he ventured to take her hand. she did not resist, and the touch of it made his pulses leap, and made him eloquent. he told her how long he had watched her, and how charming he had thought her; with his arm half about her, and half sunk upon one knee, he went on to reveal what he could no longer hide—that he loved her with all his soul. and as the wonderful, the incomparable miss paragon, with all her ravishing beauty, whispered her reply, he pressed her to his heart in ecstasy, and kissed her upon her cheeks and lips.

when the merry company descended, van rensselaer was pouring some wine from a decanter that stood on the centre-table. a few minutes later, when every one was gathered there, the host took mr. de vere, the celebrated wit, aside, and said things that made the celebrated wit first stare, and then slap his thigh; and afterward he made an irresistible speech which convulsed the company; and while the host stood[56] blushing like a schoolboy, overwhelmed with all the applause, they opened more champagne, and drank far into the night to the health of the future mrs. robert van rensselaer. it was dawn when at last they parted, and the sky was paling over the shores of maryland, past which the comet was speeding on her southward way.