For if one should be the _Alcestis_; if Kinraid should send word to Sylvia; if he should say he was living, and loving, and faithful; if it should come to pass that the fact of the undelivered message sent by her lover through Philip should reach Sylvia's ears: what would be the position of the latter, not merely in her love--that, of course, would be hopeless--but in her esteem?
All sophistry vanished; the fear of detection awakened Philip to a sense of guilt; and, besides, he found out, that, in spite of all idle talk and careless slander, he could not help believing that Kinraid was in terrible earnest when he uttered those passionate words, and entreated that they might be borne to Sylvia.

Some instinct told Philip that if the specksioneer had only flirted with too many, yet that for Sylvia Robson his love was true and vehement.
Then Philip tried to convince himself that, from all that was said of his previous character, Kinraid was not capable of an enduring constant attachment; and with such poor opiate to his conscience as he could obtain from this notion Philip was obliged to remain content, until, a day or two after the first intelligence of the presence of those three ships, he learned, with some trouble and pains, that their names were the _Megoera_, the _Bellerophon_, and the _Hanover_.
Then he began to perceive how unlikely it was that the _Alcestis_ should have been lingering on this shore all these many months.

She was, doubtless, gone far away by this time; she had, probably, joined the fleet on the war station.

Who could tell what had become of her and her crew?
she might have been in battle before now, and if so--- So his previous fancies shrank to nothing, rebuked for their improbability, and with them vanished his self-reproach.

Yet there were times when the popular attention seemed totally absorbed by the dread of the press-gang; when no other subject was talked about--hardly, in fact, thought about.