"so I shall see to everything myself." "Well, you will have plenty of time to do so. We do not sail until four o'clock." "Well, I shall have plenty to do in the meantime, so you need not wait for me, Harry. You may just go aboard[Pg 41] at any time you like. I shall take a carriage and call for the baby on my way down." [Pg 41] "You are getting very kind all at once," De Vere said, carelessly. "Yes, I mean to be. Having undertaken it, I mean to see the poor little thing safely through." "Well, I wish you success," De Vere replied, as he lighted a fresh cigar and turned away. The tickets and state-rooms had already been secured, and Lancaster hurried down-town, intent on securing all the comforts possible for his fair charge, who had suddenly grown very interesting in his eyes. He bought a steamer-chair, some warm rugs, and a gayly colored Oriental wrap that was both pretty and comfortable. Then he provided himself with some nice novels and poems and books of travel. When he had provided everything he could think of that was conducive to a lady's comfort, he repaired to a florist's and selected an elegant and costly bouquet. "I have noticed that ladies always like a bunch of flowers when they are traveling," he said to himself. "But what will De Vere say to such reckless extravagance on my part?" He smiled to himself, thinking how the young lieutenant would chaff. "Anyway, I shall have got the start of him," he thought. "He will be on the qui vive for a flirtation with Leonora West." Then he looked at his watch and found that he had consumed so much time in making his purchases that he only had time to take a carriage and call for his charge. Having[Pg 42] sent all his purchases to the steamer, and being encumbered with nothing but the flowers, he made all haste to execute his last and pleasantest task—accompanying Miss West to the steamer on which they were to embark. [Pg 42] "Drive fast," he said to the man on the box; and when they paused before the genteel boarding-house where he had made Miss West's acquaintance the day before, he jumped out with alacrity and ran up the
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