Romance Island

ngland they could have been no more profoundly startled than to hear stated soberly that he had been for nearly a year the king of a cannibal island. For the cannibal

a gold throne in a leopard-skin coat, ordering "o

with a shell

anner of Pr

himself up sharply. Clearly, somebody w

es, on the second of which her uncontrollable voice

Olivia. "Tell us," sh

as begining, but the title was not t

articulated. "T

one holds to be royalty," said the lawyer in an edi

incess

ent to the Azores with letters and a packet to you. The enterprise, however, was attended by so great danger of discovery that it was never repeated.

Frothingham rushed

is lips, and waving his hands, once, from the wrists,

livia. "No, Mr. Fr

e incline

said, "to learn that I made my voyage t

Olivia. "But-has anythin

ou anxiety. Briefly, Miss Holland, it is more than three months since your father suddenl

Mrs. Hastings, with a gesture that was quite wild and sent her bonnet h

an. He would never have the bad taste to disappear, like

alm yourself. There are families of undisputed positi

a. "Ah, tell us," she b

with sympathetic regret. "I had the honour, three months ago, to entertain

ings, smiling up at the opposite

of the High Council was to be held at noon on the following day. The ki

eorge quickly; "in the absence of the k

, the chief administrator of justice, i

St. George

cried Olivia. "Have you

eople, who were devoted to the king, your father, have sought night and day. There is, it is hardly right t

from us, I beg, Prince

jewels, was left by King Abibaal himself. Since his time every king of the island has upon his death bequeathed to the casket the finest jewel in his possession; and its contents are now therefore of inestimable

m the lips of the

ncil immediately issued a proclamation that if the treasure be not restored by a certain date-now barely two weeks away-a heavy tax will be levied upon

asure over and above the loss of their king, my brother Otho! If," she shrilled indignantly, "w

uite still. It continually waved about a little, so that usually, even in peace, it intimated indignation;

But he is a stranger to us-come of an alien race; and the double disappearance is a most tragic occurrence, which the bur

s. Hastings, "the

and set his white tee

orgive me-corrupted by living in this barbarous age of yours, fumbling as you do at civilization. With us death is a sacred rite, the highest tribute and the last sacri

?" cried

udder, and abundantly provisioned. Then with solemn ritual we have set him adrift-an offering to the great spirits of s

cried Olivia. "O

kites to his arms and jumped out the window of the cupola and broke his collar bone-oh, Oth

you not to jest with us. Have considerati

rnestly. "I do not wish to alarm these ladies, b

the taking of life is unknown to you in Yaque, will you explain how it was that yo

ers her people's wrongs following upon the coming of the stranger sovereign, the poor creature must have developed the primitive instincts of your race. Before coming to this country my servan

n the lawye

k the deplorable and fanatic form of your own courts," finished the prince

prang to

o Yaque," she cried ringingly. "Prin

her beauty and her daring. He bowed before her, his l

you do not permit it, Prince Tabnit, we must publish wha

e's country will have a Yaque exhibit in it

! Miss Holland-,"

e spoke t

merica. Do you not see that, in the event of your father's failur

g to waken him by bringing in his coffee, he was going to throttle Rollo-that was all. Olivia Holland, an American heiress, the hered

ried O

parted, winked with lightning ra

pulled hims

k you to enlighten us. And the first, which I hope you will forgive, is whether

h all the importance of having made the suggestion. "W

elicate workmanship. It was of a substance resembling both glass and metal of changing, rainbow tints, and it passed through St. Ge

ss that until I came to this country I did not know that you had so few colours. Our spectrum already consists of twelv

suddenly been permitted to look past the

inness and lightness on which, embossed and emblazoned, was the coat of arms of the

om your father containing some instructions to me. It is true that writing has with us been superseded by wireless communication, excepting where ther

uld not resist asking, "that y

ce smile

not know that it is absolute and to be possessed at wil

o her lips, her eyes filling with tears. There was no mista

, "his l's and his t's and his vowels were all the same height. I

esty. You have, for example, a tapestry representing an ibis hunt; you have an image in pink sutro, or soft marble, of an ancient Ph?nici

said Olivia, "we ha

n't care much for so many colours myself, perhaps because I always wear

George?" inquired th

and I believe that he is in Yaque, for he would never of his own will desert a place

way than his way? For I always say that it is not really necessary to do as my poor dear husband would have done, providing only that we can find a better way. Oh," she mourned, lifting her h

oldly, "forgets what I have

eing behind civilization and being ahead of civilization

ather stirred him powerfully; moreover, her words outlined a possible course of his own w

asked. "You've naturally no consul there and

eadily, "lies almost due s

ham stirred

the archaeologist, the anthropologist, the explorer in all field

phase of civilization has opened to you the secrets of the Fourth Dimension, much will be discovered to you which you do not now discern or dream, and among these, Yaque. I do not jest," he added wearily, "neither do I expect you to be

lly, "I don't know why you all keep wanderin

rupt, but rather to "divide evidence finely" at the p

thrilled at

ce, "is plying about outside the

your wireless system is perfected, why can

ly those problems with which we have had to deal. The curve of the earth has of course

ince Tabnit," said Oliv

said Prince

ed Olivia, "to-m

ike ice upon a warm promontory. Mrs. Hastings' voice

. Frothingham?"

ung down and he looked as if s

umbled doubtfully, "my daughter Antoinette-I-

tears was superintending th

going to fail me now. Prince Tabnit-at

e listene

ing upon you at noon to conduct you? And I need hardly

nything!" c

kly, "taking me, at my age, into this awful plac

go with you at noon,"

ir adieux. A great many things remained to

nd was flanked by garrulous Italians with push-carts, lighted by flaring torches. Men were returning from work, children were quarreling, women were in doorways, an

mes. What time is it? I haven't an idea. Dear, dear, I want to get home and feel as if my feet were on land and w

d speculations filled his mind, and through these Mrs Hastings' chatter of forebodings and the lawyer's patterned u

nd gave hi

t thank you. But try to know, won't you, w

e went up to his apartment and met Rollo-sleek, deferential, the acme of the polite barbarism in which the prince had made St. George feel that

ot enough. The spirit of the road and of the chase was in his veins, and he was aglow with "the taste for pilgriming." He looked about on the simple luxury with w

rrow on the prince's submarine," he sa