Why?
Do you want any ?" "I have a Bible in my room, but there was a Tennyson among the others which I glanced at in spare moments." The sailor thanked the darkness that concealed the deep bronze of face and neck caused by this chance remark.

He vaguely recollected the manner in which the lines from "Maud" came to his lips after the episode of the letter.

Was it possible that he had unknowingly uttered them aloud and Iris was now slily poking fun at him?
He glowed with embarrassment.
"It is odd that you should mention Tennyson," he managed to say calmly.
"Only today I was thinking of a favorite passage." Iris, of course, was quite innocent this time.
"Oh, do tell me.

Was it from 'Enoch Arden' ?" He gave a sigh of relief.

"No.