This eager encomium passed upon an imaginary person struck Nan as being somewhat out of place; for the waltz had already begun, and she wanted to get back to her mamma: whereas this Lieutenant King seemed to wish to stand there and talk to her.
'Of course, that's special good luck for a sailor,' said he with a smile, 'to be able to make friends in a short time; for it's only a short time he has. Ashore to-day, and off to-morrow again; and what's worse, out of sight out of mind.'
'Oh yes, it is,' he said; 'people on shore are too much concerned among themselves to think about the people away at sea. Why, you yourself now; after you leave this house to-night you will completely forget that there are such things as either ships or sailors until you come back here to another ball, and then the bunting will remind you.'
'Now there you are quite wrong,' said she firmly, 'for I see ships and sailors every day of my life.'
'Why, how is that?' he exclaimed with great interest.
'We live in Brighton,' said Nan simply, 'and I walk a good deal along the downs towards Newhaven, you know. The ships are a good way off, generally; still, you watch them, and you are interested in them.'
'You walk along the downs between Brighton and Newhaven?' he said, as if that was an extraordinary matter. 'Alone?'
'When I am passing I will look out for you; I will imagine that I can see you.'
Nan thought this was idle talk, so she said with a smile,
'Shall we give up this dance too? The fact is, I want to take mamma and get her some tea, or an ice, or something.'
'Oh, don't do that!' said he eagerly; 'introduce me to her, and I will take you both down to supper. There are some people there already----'
'But I must not go down--not yet,' said Nan, remembering her youth.
'Why not?' said he boldly. 'I know Lady Stratherne well enough for anything. Why, nothing could be more natural. Of course you will come down with your mamma.'
'I'm very hungry, and that's the truth,' said Nan; 'for I was too excited or frightened to think about dinner. But if I went down now, wouldn't they think it was a little bit----'
She was about to say 'cheeky,' but she remembered in time that this was not her brother. He broke in abruptly--