Indeed, as to clothes and comforts of all sorts, we
began our homeward voyage in a greatly renovated
condition, thanks to our friends. The many kindnesses
of the engineer officer were only matched by his brusque
annoyance if we "made a fuss about nothing," and
between these, and what the sugar-planter thought due to
his relative, and what the sugar-planter's daughter did
for the sake of Dennis, the oiUy difficulty was to get our
kits stowed within reasonable seaman's limits. The
sugar-planter's influeiice was of course invaluable to us
in the choice of a ship, and we were very fortunate.
The evening we went on board I accompanied Dennis to



IVE AND THE WORLD, 295

his cousin's house to bid good-bye, and when we left,
Miss Eileen came with us through the garden to let us
out by a short cut and a wicket-gate. She looked prettier
even than usual, in some sort of pale greenish-grey
muslin, with knots of pink ribbon about it, and I felt very
much for Dennis's deplorable condition, and did my best
in the way of friendship by going well ahead among the
oleanders and evergreens, with a bundle which contained
the final gifts of our friends. Indeed I waited at the
wicket-gate not only till I was thoroughly tired of waiting,
but till I knew that we dare wait no longer, and then I
went back to look for Dennis.
About twenty yards back I saw him, as I thought,
mixed up in some way with an oleander-bush in pink
blossom, but, coming nearer, I found that it was Eileen's
grey-green dress with the pink bows, which, like a
slackened sail, was flapping against him in the evening
breeze, as he knelt in front of her.
