The Summons

rs News of a

ted him. He was received without excitem

trip? Dine with me to-night and you shall show

s a tel

o. We just pushed it along, you know," said the aide-de-camp. He dined with Hillyard, admired his heads, ar

s well as anything in Pentonville, and every one went

pping to sarcastic self-reproaches on his flightiness and vanity. He was not aware that the young aide-de-camp pushed aside some pressing work to make sure that he did go on the train; or that w

uxor, in spite of the heat, and reached Cairo in the beginning of June when the streets were thick with dust-storms and the Government had m

f Egypt, and gently allowed Hillyard to perceive it. Khartum had at all events stated "There is a cablegram." At Alexandria the statement became a question: "Is there a cablegram?" In

, you know"-this with a patient smile as Hillyard's impatient hand

illyard. "He was m

r to you. Bendish has a friend

ard s

om the borders of Abyssinia because Bendis

t gentleman st

ut your expedition short on that account." He looked remorsefully into H

nded when the message reached me

ng. "You will see Bendish, of course, in England. By wha

the Himalaya in

he nodded farewell and dipped hi

looked the fool he felt himself to be. But at

l why Bendish's friend w

he indifferent gentleman had

replied. "Perhaps he has got into di

d indignation. Hillyard neither overrated nor decried his work. But to be dragged away from the buffalo and the reed-

rnment cablegrams were coded. The sheet of paper which he held in his hand was inscribed with a message that Martin Hillyard would leave Alexandria in a week's time on the s.s. Himalaya. A

nd his wife, Sophia Duchess of Hohenberg, were murdered in the streets of Saravejo. London, when he reached it, was a choir of a million voices not yet tuned to the ringing note of one. It was incredible that the storm, foreseen so ofte

up their hands and cried t

stupid and two generations back a German,

ains-we are no match for them. The country's thick with

he hall and dropped into

ese discussions? The cr

en a long

. "A man was inquiring for you yes

shook h

't kno

a friend of a f

d the engrossing menace of those days had quite thrust from his r

s possibly Paul Bendi

man I am speaking of," and the sailor

r since he had left Senga, a vague envy of Harry Luttrell had been springing up in his heart. The ordered life of service-authority on the one hand, the due execution of details on the other! Was it to that glorious end in this cris

at coul

ing the question to himself. Th

Gra

and handed it to Hillyard. Then he looked at

find him t

as he read it, suspicion again seized upon Hillyard. After all, why should a Commodore want to see him in a little street of the

arch showed where once the Thames had lapped. Now, beyond its grey-white curve, were glimpses of green lawns and the cries of children at their play. Hillyard stopped at a hous

oor on the lef

, brown-varnished door; and he almost turned and fled. After all, the monstrous thing looked possible. He stood upon the threshold of a se

wish to see

dore G

air of perplexity, as though this was t

geon-holes. Several of these drawers stood open and disclosed cards standing on their edges and packed against each other. Hillyard's hopes revived. Not for nothing

m?" she asked, still with that suggestion tha

t for me across

a pair of steady

write your

and opened a door, crossed a tiny ante-room and knocked again. Hillyard entered a room which surprised him, so greatly did its size and the wide outlook from i

nted to

Hilly

es

the girl, and Hillyard hear

eside you. A match? Here is one. I hope tha

yard, who was in no mood to commit h

that you know so

Bilbao, and a host of places, and a host of people, poli

n Spain for

fé, holding on to a dinghy from a yacht and helping the ladies to step out, a little fishing here, smuggling a box of cigars past the customs officer there-oh, it wasn't so difficult. You can sleep out in comfort

blue under the sun, the coming of night and the sudden twinkling of lights in the cave-dwellings above Almeria and across the bay from Aguilas, the plunge into the warm sea at midnight, the glorious evenings at water-side cafés when he had half a dozen

and made money out of them by selling dulces and membrilla and almond rock from Alicante. Oh, the life wasn't so bad. But it came to an end. A ship

his thumbs throughout the autobiography, and now came with something of a s

at I know of Spain. I am just wasting your time. But I have to thank you," and he bowed with a

e, however,

ly, "that you do know the very plac

mmodore. He put down his

insta

olumbr

ard l

ty miles fro

house," inter

e-down inn with a v

an inn," said Graham. "Alread

bretes all one summer," s

two or three

he Bal

ine ships between Barcelona

ireless," said C

a. You cross a wonderful pass by the old monastery

iscence left Commo

ever go t

tourist who dug fo

rs upon the leather pad. He made no sign which could indicate whether h

e across a man ca

ities wherein he had wandered. Malaga, with its brown cathedral; Almeria and its ancient castle and bright blue-painted houses glowing against the brown and barren hills; Aguilas, with its islets; Cartagena, Gandia, Alicante of

a José Medina. He was a young peasant

o a smile. He glanced aside to his bureau, where

anean ports than any one else in England. But he does not seem to be aware

etas. With this José Medina had gone to Gibraltar, where he bought a felucca, with a native of Gibraltar as its nominal owner; so that José Medina might fly the flag of Britain

little watering-place with a good beach about thirty kilometres east of Valencia. He ran the felucca a

" said Graham, "h

ared. Then

r José Medina. But I am judging by one ni

not ring, but displaced a tiny shutter in front of the desk of his secretary in the

al Car

Graham loo

m afraid that I must

Hillyard. "Admir

" said Commodore G

ose and to

ogether very doubtful. We may slip over into smooth water. On the other hand," and he twiddled his thumbs serenely, "we may be at

with its vague promises. But there are other and often surer indications than words. When Miss Chayne took down his address, her manner had quite chang

hat to a cabled report from Khartum of the opinion which various governors of districts had fo

itable private yachts t

ed Miss Chayne, and

me. In the end his finger rested on the name of the stea