The Beautiful White Devil

sting vivid green shutters on every window, and broad luxurious verandahs on every floor. I was the first to reach it, and, remembering my pos

sing gong had sounded for dinner. So far, I had seen nothing of the person of whom we were in search, but I did not doubt

as an English merchant of considerable standing in the place. The chair on my right was vacant, but before we had dismissed the first course it was taken by a man whom my instinct told me was none other than Mr. Ebbington himself. Why I should have come to this conclusion I cannot explain, but that I

is face some token of his guilt. But in place of that I discovered a stout, well set-up, not unhandsome man of about forty years of age. His complexion was somewhat florid; his eyes were of an uncertain hue, b

ews from England, and the prospects of a war between China and Japan. When dinner was over I rose and followed him into the verandah, offered him a cheroot, which he accepted, and seated myself in

manville!" she said; "isn

onplace or two, she bowed and passed on her way. I resumed my seat, and for nearly a minute we smoked in silence. Then my companion, who had

dinner. The proprietor tells me Miss Sanderson, the American heiress, is staying in the house. I do not w

rson," I replied. "You

en occur in Singapore. If they did, few of us would be here very long, I can assure you. But

Batavia in the French boat that arrived this afternoon. From what little I have seen of her

, of Hong Kong, was so completely taken in by the Beautiful White Devil, w

in very good style, and evidently denies herself nothing. But you spoke of the Beautiful White De

. Thank goodness she has never done me the honour of abducting me as she did the Sultan of Surabaya and those other Johnnies. But wit

ime I could hardly conceal my exultation. I had, however, to keep my delight to myself for fear lest he shoul

rt of girl, and not inclined to be stand-offish, so if ever I get an opportunity I don't mind risking it. Now, I think, if you'll excuse me, I'll say goo

ry much for your company. Gla

m, where I turned into bed to dream that I had abducted Alie, an

a double rickshaw which one of the hotel boys had gone out to procure. Ebbington was seated in a chair near by, and evidently seemed to consider this a good opportunity for effecting the int

. "Well, first I guess we're going to look for a dry goods sto

hoping she would understand what I was driving at.

my object. "We must know the way, I reckon, before we start, or we'll j

t and I'll

ween us, as I intended he should do, had risen,

bington. Could you direct them? But first, perhaps, I ought

, gave instructions in Malay to the rickshaw coolie, who by this time had drawn up at the s

impressed itself upon him. Though inwardly writhing at the tone he adopted, I had to pretend to be interested. It was a difficult matter, however, and I was more relieved than I can say, when he remembered b

e, I found the ladies reclining in their chairs listening to the conversation of Mr. Ebbington. He was regaling them with a highly-coloured account of his experiences in the East, and from the attention his remarks were recei

name before? It seems, someh

e Beautiful White Devil," said Ebbington, who saw that

. Vesey, of Wall Street, who operates considerable in pork. But tell m

d my peace and let Ebbington

gone mad on Captain Marryat and Clarke Russell. Others aver that she's not a woman at all, but a man disguised in woman's clothes. But the real truth, I'

on the spot. But save a little twitching round the corners of her mouth, she allowed no sign of the wrath that I knew was raging within he

s this, what do you call her, Beautiful White

d, like the born yarn-spinner he w

hinese mandarins at least. She has robbed the Vectis Queen, the Ooloomoo-and that with the Governor of Hong Kong on board; stopped the Oodnadatta only thr

ccumulated it, do you think, Mr. Ebbington?" said the quiet voice of Mrs.

f good in her life. No, I'll tell you what she does do with it. It is well known that she has a rendezvous somewhere in the Pacific,

answered hotly. "Now I have heard some very different st

the boy had gone, Alie turned the conversation into another channel, and after that all was plain sailing once more. To add to our enjoyment, about ten o'clock another servant came to inform Mr. Ebbington th

That man's insolent lying was more than I could stand. In another moment, if that servant had not come in, I beli

how he was in the habit of t

t not have been only a mask to prevent anyone fro

rt and soul, and the treachery he is preparing now is to be his revenge. Couldn't you hear the change, the grating, in his voice when

to make the attemp

I must anticipate him, for I have learned that Ebbington received a note from the authorities this morning, definitel

he realises who you are. I would not be

s he has done," she answered

out what she intended concerning myse

one my professional work for you, and on Friday I shall have assisted you to the very best of my ability

ost a falter in i

at." Here she paused for a moment. "But no! Perhaps I ought not to ask you-you have your work in life,

a glad heart. I have no duty to consider, and as I have given up my practice, I ha

nd you can go home via Australia, if that will suit you. Never f

will go

you. Go

tired rickshaw coolies wended their way. I was thinking of the strangeness of my position. When I came to work it out, and to review the whole chain of events dispassionately, it seemed almost incredible. I could hardly believe that George De Normanville the staid m

as noticeable that he had donned a new suit of clothes in honour of the occasion, and I saw that he wore a sprig of japonica in his buttonhole. From his expression I concluded that he was very

t the heiress had been most gracious to him. From what he said I gathered that, unless some

er, doesn't get jealous," I said with a laugh, wishing to get him on to

ss' sake," he answered. "Miss Sanderson and that w

, "if you only knew, my f

n my place?" he said with

e candid," I answered, "

r request remained to take tea with them. During this al fresco meal, which was presided over by Miss Sanderson hersel

tentate to whom all things are possible. "A picnic? But that is not m

w moments, and then she said, w

sibly do, on these hot nights, would be to take us for a trip on the water. I know Mrs. Beecher t

the idea that, whatever he may himself have thought of

r cigars, and we'll spend a delightful evening. I'm fonder of the sea than you can think. But I do just wish

hat he had ordered the supper. Thereupon, to encourage him, Miss Sanderson professed hersel

or the harbour. It was a lovely night, with a young moon just showing like a silver sickle above the roofs. We were all in the highest sp

e descended the wharf steps in single file, and, as I was nearest to her, I stepped on board and gave Alie my hand to assist her to embark. She squeezed

now dodging under the bows of a Messageries Maritime mail boat, now under the stern of a P. and O. steamer, or a Norwegian timb

airs was somewhat altered. But as our party were all good sailors, the tumbling and tossing we endured hardly mattered. For over an ho

ar. By the time he had completed his first bottle of champagne at supper, it was about as much as I could stand; indeed, twice he called her by her assumed Christian name, an

cked him, as he lit his cigar. "There's none of that stand-offishness about them that there is with our Engl

aid, however, we're sometimes unwise enough to permit people to become

gne, filling up Alie's glass, and then helping himself liberally. "I think that's

ng else. What a lovely night it is, isn't it? I think this harbour's just delightful by moonlight. Say, Mr. Ebbington, could

omply with her request, and for some time sat in sulky silence. Just as he was going to speak again, however, we descried a boat pulling across towards us from the wharves on the other side. As it approached the shore Alie signed to me, and, divining her intention, I we

siness which will necessitate our going back t

e thought he might turn it to account, continued,

n board the launch again. We pushed off from the shore and began to steam ahead. Then Alie nodded to me, and I tapped the engineer on the shoulder and

op?" he cried, angrily. "I'll tr

e, dropping her American accent altogether, and drawing a revolver from beneath her cloak. "The gam

n, Miss Sanderson?"

noise, or you'll get into trouble. I shall answer no questions, but

lay; then, after a moment's conversation with one of the crew, she returned aft, took the tiller, and steered for the open sea. The lit

d and revealed three times. This, I knew, was the yacht's signal, and in less than a quarter of an hour we were alongs

o the spot, then he staggered a pace forward, clutched at a stay, and, missing it, fell upon the deck in a dead faint. As I stooped to see what was the matt