The Message

o his chambers. Before going out, he had thrown a towel over the calabash, and told the porter not

this admission came the consciousness that the negro's mask lost its power unless actually in evidence. Hence, none of the vapors and misty fancies of th

the presentment of the dead and gone M'Wanga should scowl again at the world during a period when the fortunes of his country were at stake, it was not for Warden to disobey the silent edict. He was not swayed solely by idle impulse. In bringing the head to London he meant t

ll when in London. Now, he was, in a degree, a protégé of her ladyship. Her husband was a former governor of Nigeria, and her friendly assistance had helped, in the first instance, to lift Warden out of the ruck of youngsters who ye

was at home, and insisted th

om, exchanging gossip with his hostess, and his par

y Hilbury electrified him with a morsel of news that was as

ying with me," she said-"Mrs. Laing-you kn

tty, irresponsible Rosamund Miller-was the last person he wished to encounter, but he

" he said. "It was broken off rather abrupt

e was what people term 'a good match,' and he has at least justified that estimate of

erate man," mu

ave not for

ps. Pray consider. On your own estimate

ve for your mother that first led me to take an interest in your welfare, and I should be doi

f years has healed t

ltern who heard, at her hospitable table, that Rosamund Miller had married a wealthy pl

her woman?" sh

is a marvel. Seriously, Lady Hilbury, you would not have me take a wife to my special swamp, and I would no

there is always the possibility of marryin

ing out?" h

e you want to

but the tender recollections I cherish ar

ners. If so, you shall have a wider stage than my boudoir. We lunc

ng at the dilemma,

s. Laing been a

r bush campaign shut out the

ed at hi

nt service, and I suppose it would be quite impossible to arrange everything in a coupl

hat has happened to yo

ind of ingratitude. Now, let me make amends. My behavior shall be discreet-my decorous sympathy worthy of a High Church curate. I was staggered for a few seconds, I admit,

was not necessary to mention Evelyn Dane in order to hold her attention. The first reference to Figuero and the Oku chiefs attained that e

Charles?" came the eager q

rse. Wh

t every one has his tact in dealing with natives. It is no secret that our relations

l rang. Lady Hilbury bent forward. Her voic

t may come sooner than you think. Grasp it firmly.

zling to find an Under Secretary so well informed as to the identity of certain visitors to Cowes, but when a woman in the position of his hostess-with her wide exp

his bronzed face, a glint of power and confidence in his eyes, that might w

d entered the boudoir with an air of charming impulsiveness practised so sedulously that it had long ceased to be artificial. For once in her life it abandoned her. Warden's fri

well–bred to permit the shadows of the past to darken the present. Lady Hilbury, too, rose to the o

ual woman of the world. She was gowned with that unobtrusive excellence which betokens perfect taste and a well–lined purse. Certain little hints in her costume showed that the memor

recollection, vivid enough now, painted a dark–skinned, high–colored girl of nineteen, with expressive featur

e, cheeks and ears of delicate pink, and a waved and plaited mass of hair of the hue known as Titian red. He found himself comparing her wi

have yielded to the strain, because Rosa

pleasant meal, and the talk had wandered from recent doings to a long–forgotten point

is wandering w

unpleasant knowledge that I must gather up my traps and fly to Waterloo. Lady Hilbury knows that I was en route to the Solent when I ca

it sufficed. Rosamund imperilled her f

hat we might see you often, now tha

," put in Lady Hilbury. "He is leaving town on business at the

ht when he was to say good–by. Mrs. L

he asked, with a note of care

knock on the head while swimm

She spoke slowly, but Lady Hilbury saw that the knuckles of a white

he steady words, "but-perhaps y

es

d f

r, I th

Her hands flew to her face to hide t

she murmured, "if o

eck of the Nancy, Warden learned from Peter the history of

nder Secretary's inquiry anent the appearance of the yacht now became a fixed purpose from which nothing would divert him. It seemed to be impossible that Mr. Baumgartner could fail to recognize the girl's description, since comparison with Rosam

evidently Gargantuan in its chief occup

tole, Peter,' every five minutes if I'd run to it. I stood 'em three, just in your interests, captain, an' then I turn

amed M'Wanga?" broke in Warden, and in the darkness Peter

o bottles, an' we finished the lot afore I began to wonder if I was quite sartin which of my legs was the wooden one. But, bles

inkling of their bus

cco into the bowl of his pipe with

n. She brought in the bottles I ordered, an' each time Pana tried to catch 'old of 'er. The third time he grabbed her for fair, an' sez: 'You lib for Benin country w'en I king?' At that one of 'is pals jabbe

sent when Fig

o leadin' pore ignorant blacks astray. My godfather! Five bottles of Ole Tom among three of 'em, an' me, 'oo 'ates the smell o' gin, tryin' to doctor my p

the Sans S

to the dinghy. We pulled away to the cutter, an' sighted the yacht steamin' west, so I 'bout ship an' landed Chris ne

n his ability to be absolutely lazy

t to make Plymouth by to–

guv'nor?" demanded

eedles, and as soon as St. Abb's He

lymouth in a failing wind about midday, but Warden's impatient glance searched the magnificent harbor in vain for the trim outlines of the Sans Souci. As the cutter

ary and bottle him up there for a week. Strive as best he might, he could not shake off the impression that he ought to be acting, and not dawdling about the south coast in this aimless fashion. He was quite certai

ble to an unknown sense. "Go where you are wanted. Lady Hilbury told you th

nchorage, was much perturbed. Though a true sailorman, he seldom swore, for h

worry every hour since that bonny lass set her eyes on it. Onless I'm vastly mistaken it'll bust up the cruise, an' here was Chris an'

hat the calabash was even then reposing in a portmanteau, by the side of Warden's bunk. Happi

outhwestern corner of Wales on the following Wednesday, he suddenly hit upon the idea of walking across Dartmoor and taking a steamer from Ilfracombe to Swansea. Once committed to a definite itinerary of that nature there would be no turning back. He counted on being able to

Evelyn Dane seated there, deeply absorbed in a magazine. A bound of his heart carried conviction to his incredulous brain. Though the girl's face was bent and almost hidden by her hat, she offer

alled the exact patterns of a brooch, a marquise ring, an ornament in her hat

more, the he

ay write or th

he first sound of Warden's voice she was ready to spring up and walk away, without looking at him. Her

zine with a bang, a

" she cried. "How in the wo

keep–away–from–the–fire–and–you won't–get–burned wits informed me that you were in far–off Oxfordshire, but some kindly

action was to glance around and discover if any passers–by were gazing at them. Instantly she knew she had made a mistake, and the imprisoned hand was snatched away emphatica

aven. Miss Beryl Baumgartner came with some friends to a little place down the coast there, a place called Salcombe, I think, and the Sans Souci arrived there yesterday.

sion of a young lady reciting a Browning poem. No, I shall not explain what I me

at a loss to understand him, but rath

a superb vista of-let me see-lunch-long drive in country-tea

ut

le person who dares to lay prior claim to you, while, should

ill

n," he complained. "Wel

, like Warden had lived through many hours of self–scrutiny

g. My belongings are in the big hotel there. I am a mere excursionist, out for the day. And now that I have y

age and directed the man

to your satisfaction unless you permit me to

s infectious-under

, yet there was but feeb

even you must

terly a

given me. I yelled defiance, but I

ow very

many charms is your prompt sympathy. In those

ontentedly. After all, it was best to humor him, and

ess, if I would gain credence I must propound a

ed and interested, at times somewhat thril

shivered a little at the gruesome memory of the "parchment" which she had examined so intently, but she did not interrupt, save for an occasi

ious," she said at last. "You were

es

that brought me here you would

my fixed i

t that you should know a

aid so to the U

broad daylight, and whirling rapidly through a village, it behooved him to be c

ery nice," she went on,

could not help saying, at the same time thanking his

yn fancied that her voice was w

arry out poor Domenico

l you tell me what you

ld be happy if I had not made the effort. Yet, Rabat is a long way from England. Would you be absent many weeks? P

e first instance, I want to set Garcia's soul at rest about those masses which, it seems to me, can

she passed

er arm and

Madeira you will not refu

replied, turning and looking at hi

tion, of course. With the r

to marry you?" sh

es

e a few idle hou

. I see no valid reason why I should change a well–ba

s clasp, and a suspicious moist

tered. "But let us forget now that you have said those words. Come to me later-when yo

ey lived in the Paradise that

f the malleable clay that permits such sudden change of habit. Each dwelt rather in a dream–land-the man hoping it could be true that this all–pleasing woman co

mooth progress of that life voyage they would make together. Rather, when they talked, did they seek to discover more of the past, of their common tastes, of their friends, of the "littl

d, when that ecstatic moment had passed, and the boat which held his new–found mate was vanishing into th

sang aloud as he walked to the quay where Peter was waiting, after r

per of the Nancy. "Somehows, I had a notion this mor

nd the reply that was surely waiting for him at the post–office

s pilot, but neither you nor any other

ll of everlastin' fog. But sometimes one can do a bit o' guessin', an' that's wot I