four perspiring men, served as conveyances by which the arrivals were to make the journey to their new home. Mr. Bowles informed his lordship that horses were not submitted

e from that which he displayed on his first invasion of the street earlier in the day. The servants came along behind in the second cart. Far ahead, like hounds in full cry, toiled the unwilling luggage bearers. From the windows and doorways of every house, from the bazaars and cafés, from the side streets and mosque-approaches, the gaze of the sullen populace fastened itself upon t

oken though gorgeous jungle. The cool green depths looked most alluring to the sun-baked travellers; they could almost imagine that they heard the dri

unteered Mr. Bowles, mopping his brow in a most unmilita

e mines?" ask

there and there's no place for a landing from the sea. Everything is brought overland to Aratat and placed in the vaults of the bank. Four ti

nded natives would steal every

e absolutely honest. Smugglers have tried to bribe them, and the smugglers have never lived to tell of it. They may kill people occasionally, but they are quite honest, believe me. And, in any event, are t

tive," muttered Dep

bly tempted," said Lady Agnes.

he knees," said her husb

y a land of rich men. The superintendent of the mines is a white man-a German-and the three foremen are Boers. They work on shares just as the natives do and save even more, I think. The cleri

am ruefully. "There wasn't even a finger held o

day, my

e seems to

t four hours constitutes a day's work. They pay themselves

ham. "That's the kind of a day's labor they'd like. Do you mean to say that t

to work and ride them back again. It's much better than o

," said the other, lapsi

hem climbed into the already overloaded second cart, adding much to the brown man's burden. After regaining his breath to some extent, the obliging Mr. Bowles, now being amon

who were to represent them in the final settlement of the estate. London was to be the battle ground in the coming conflict. A committee of three had journeyed to England to put the matter in the hands of these lawyers and were now returning to the island with a representative of the firm, who was coming out to stand guard, so t

aunders. The fact that he also served as legal adviser to Lady Deppingham was not of sufficient moment to disturb the arrangements on either side. Every one realis

ly on the Boswell, Sumatra to Madagascar, due off Aratat in two or three days. Mr. Bowles jocosely inferred that it should be a very happy f

ot, while the original beneficiaries have to marry each other or get off the island at the end of the year. Most of the islanders have got three or four w

as many wives as they choose?" dem

as they don't cho

t for a long time, then he ex

wo

Bowles, arou

retorted Saunders, look

ite the wondrous novelty of the scene and the situation

ened in the sunset glow, like the jewel that had been its godmother. Long and low, scolloped by its gables, parapets and budding towers, the vast building gleamed red against the blue sky from one point of view and still redder against the green m

ds sterling, or to make it seem more prodigious, nearly eighteen million francs, were consumed in its building. An army of skilled artisans had come out from France and Austria to make this quixotic dream a reality before the two old men should go into their dreamless slee

to modern architecture that was not included in the

ainted with its fastnesses, if that word may be employed. To what uses Taswell Skaggs and John Wyckholme could have put this vast, though splendid waste, the imagination cannot grasp. Apartments fit for a king abounded; suites which took one back to the luxuries of Marie Antoinette were common; banquet halls, ball rooms,

so that it virtually ran through the pipes and faucets of the vast establishment. The fountains rivalled in beauty those at Versailles, though not so extensive; the artificial lake, while not built in a night, as one other that history mentions, was quite as attractive. Water

than chateau, although opinions could not have mattered much on the island of Japat. Inasmuch as he had not, to his dying day, solved the

On the occasion of his first view of the chandelier in its complete glory, it is said that he walked blindly against an Italian table of solid marble and was in bed for eleven days with a bruised hip. The polished floors grew to be a horror to him. He could not enumerate the times their priceless rugs had slipped aimlessly away from him, leaving him floundering in profane wrath upon the glazed surface. The bare

he Sixth suite which looked out on the sea and the town as well. It is said that Wyckholme slept there twice, while Skaggs

he luggage to the rooms which Lady Deppingham selected, and then vanished as if into space. They escaped

ids can get our things into some sort of shape, my dear. What say to a little stroll about the grounds while they are doing i

in the stroll about the gardens, pointing out objects of

They can't close the bank until I set the balance sheet, sir, and it's now two hours past closing time.

re we to do about servants? We can

ll cared for in the valley,

e cared for ourselves. Damn th

my lord," ventured Mr. Bowles. "I daresay when Mr.

rooms they are to occupy. And that reminds me: I must look the place over thoroughly

my lady," said

h your while. The place surely must need cleaning up a bit. It's some months since the old-since Mr. Skaggs died." He

leave the place until your steamer was si

morn

chateau until they were sure you were on

his. What's to become of the place? Can't I

dy Agnes, sitting down suddenl

he position that you have no r

heir to every fo

diculous idea into their noddles that you can't be the heire

t, let me tell you. If it comes to that, what sort of an ass do they think I'd be

wife consolingly. "Unless you starve to deat

storehouse, my lady. You can't starve until the supply gives out. Amer

liege lord resignedly. "Let's

e announced that four of the native servants h

, sir. We though

" exclaimed Deppingham. "We'll make sure of four serva

ntercede for you when their solicitor comes on. He's due to-morrow, I hear. I

oon as he lands," comma

sir," said