Phroso

which it enables them to experience. Judged by a similar standard, my island had been, up to the present time, a brilliant success; it was certainly fulfilling the function, which Mrs K

e Cypriote fishermen, and of obtaining from them either an alliance, or, if that failed, the means of flight. Yet we none of us doubted that to take the plunge was the wiser course. I did not believe in the extreme peril of the passage, for, on further questioning, Phroso told us that the Englishman had come through, not only alive and well, but also dry. Therefore there was a path, and along a path that one man can go four men can go; and Phroso, again attired, at my suggestion, in her serviceable boy's suit, was the equal of

be more than three or four miles long. We determined, therefore, to start at five. At four Hogvardt and Watkins returned from the underground passage; they had driven three stout pegs into excavations in the rocky path, and built them in securely with stones and earth. The rope was tied fast and firm round the pegs, and the moistness of its end showed the length to be sufficient. I wish

d he, regretfully reg

Having thus spent two cartridges on advertising our presence to the pickets we made without delay for the passage. With my own hand I closed the door behind us. The secret

a delightful boy to deal with on such occasions. He wasted no time in preliminaries. He gave one hard pull at the rope; it sto

me his descending figure, while Hogvardt and Watkins held the rope ready to haul him up in

lf broad-twenty feet above the water, and I can s

disappointingly

p desire me to go n

tkins,' said I, now

,' called Watkins to D

rrival. I laid down the lant

u, Hog,' said I. 'You

calm, smiling

l stand ready to catch the young lady.

ered. 'I'll go and

ut he descended with perfect safety. Denny called: 'Now we're ready for her, Cha

e the noise made by a rug or carpet drawn along the floor. I stood still and listened, turning my my head round to the chasm. The noise continued for a minute. I took a step in the direction of it. Then I seemed to see a curious thing. The lantern appeared to get up, raise itself a foot or so in the air, keeping its light towards me, and throw itself over the chasm. At the same instant there was a rasp. Heavens, it was a knife on the rope! A cry came from far down in the chasm. I darted forward. I rushed to where the walls bayed and the chasm opened. The shuffling sound had begun again; and in the middle of the isolated path I saw a dark object. It must be the

Phroso. 'Come back, come back! They've c

and fire down the chasm? No, they were coming on. We also went on; a touch of Phroso's practised fingers opened the door for us; I turned, and i

hat had happened. Her breath c

They dared not attack us w

, 'and we can't possibly hold the house against th

instant, examined it. 'Yes,' she said, 'they may. I can

eloading my revolver as I went, and I called ou

e safer and surer way of surrounding and overwhelming us by numbers from outside. Indeed we were at our last ga

r friends-and we cannot

simple statement

t stay here!'

ost, I'll warrant. Those fellows will ca

?' she said, fixi

hurt you,

uld do; but I don't think the peo

unles

I believe that my eyes were now guilty of neglec

again. But Phroso grew

u mean?' I asked. 'Unless you refuse to give them bac

,' she said in a low voice. 'I dare no

it's mine?' I

er hand to me. Ah, Denny, my conscience, why were you at

e said softly, 'there

kissed her hand again-and d

t to my islanders,'

would not speak as she spoke, or look as she looked, or be what she was.

(to whom, by the way, he attributed hoofs and a tail). I turned the blank side uppermost, and took my pencil out of my pocket.

sland-Wheatley.' And I made a copy underneath in Greek, and, walking across to Phroso, handed the paper to her, remarking in a rather disagreeable tone, 'There you are; that'll put it all straight, I h

did not know where to look while she was thanking me, and it was as much as I could do not to call out, 'Do stop!' However presently she did s

'You know his-his secrets. Wo

. For I had sworn to see him hanged for one

t that!' said I. 'I expect

to desert you?' she aske

, rather in a fright. 'I shouldn't t

meant,' said Phroso, a wor

about Constantine just now; play with him. You know what I've told you, and you won't be deluded by him. Don't let him see that you know anything of the woman at the cottage. It

his. And what wil

ay "Lord Wheatley." What am I going t

ey'll k

all I st

stay

s fellows will be

m, and tell them to bring you to

ome within speaking distance of her. Was nobody to set her on her guard? Was I to leave her to her blind trust of the ruffian whom she was unfortunate enough to call husband, and of his tool Vlacho? Now I came to think of it, now that I was separated from my friends and had no lingering hope of being able to beat Constantine in fair fight, that seemed hardly the right thing, hardly a thing I should care to talk about or think about, if I did save my own precious skin. Would not Constantine teach his wife the secret of the Stefanopouloi? Urged by these reflectio

t I heard the blast of the horn which had fallen on my ears once before and had proved the forerunner of an attack. Phroso

the men were summoned to the town there w

I asked, as though

t on some duty,

he best; but Phroso

y are coming here-

er feet. She stood there for a moment, looking at me. I had let go her hand, but she took min

you, they shal

from her, but at the end th

'You've got the island now.

she began; and

hall pull thr

nd, but she kept

d. 'What will you do? If you ge

usin and the innkeeper. The rest are ignorant fellows, a

e done that?' s

said I, with an attempt at playful ga

go home to yo

I've got no peop

er come to Ne

w. Yes, if y

that summoned the islanders. I also had forgotten it; I saw nothing but the perfect oval face,

your life for me. Will you take this ring from me?

nd Phroso set the

sland-you are an islander too, are you not? so we are brethren-go to the edge of your island and throw it into the sea; and pe

to the door of the house, and pause

sland? If God brings you safe to your own land, my lord, as I will pray Him

ng was very still, as we stood looking from the threshold of the door, under the portal of the house that h

ea, her cheeks had turned pale again, and her lip was

y will be here in heat and anger, and I shall not be able to s

t an honourable man could say? Was there one thing? I told myself (too eager to tell

aught her hand and again lightly kissed it. 'My

grace and glory of her youthful beauty. I stood watching her, forgetting the woman at the cottage, forgetting my own danger, forgetting even the peril she ran whom I watched, forgetting everything save the old that bound me and the new that called me. So I stood till she vanished from m

, if I could; and my own life was not mine to lose any more than it was mine to give to whom I would. And I recollect that