If any one had suggested to her that morning that she might make a trip to America, she would have said it was quite impossible.

The idea of the disagreeable journey, the horror of being cast among an immense crowd of unknown travellers; or, still worse, of being thrown into the society of some chance acquaintance who would make the most of knowing her--it was all sufficient, even in the absence of other reasons, to deter her from undertaking the journey.

But in the party proposed by the Duke it was all very different.

He was a gentleman, besides being a peer, and he was an old friend.

His sister was a kind-hearted gentlewoman of narrow views but broad humanity; and not least, the yacht was sure to be perfection, and she would be the honoured guest.