Barbara Harding seemed particularly taken with the
Count de Cadenet, insisting that he join those who occupied
her car, and so it was that the second officer of the Halfmoon
rode out of Honolulu in pleasant conversation with the object
of his visit to the island.
Barbara Harding found De Cadenet an interesting man.
There was no corner of the globe however remote with which
he was not to some degree familiar. He was well read, and
possessed the ability to discuss what he had read intelligently
and entertainingly. There was no evidence of moodiness in
him now. He was the personification of affability, for was he
not monopolizing the society of a very beautiful, and very
wealthy young lady?
The day's outing had two significant results. It put into the
head of the second mate of the Halfmoon that which would
have caused his skipper and the retiring Mr. Divine acute
mental perturbation could they have guessed it; and it put De
Cadenet into possession of information which necessitated his
refusing the urgent invitation to dine upon the yacht, Lotus,
that evening--the information that the party would sail the following
morning en route to Manila.
"I cannot tell you," he said to Mr. Harding, "how much I
regret the circumstance that must rob me of the pleasure of
accepting your invitation.
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