ly frightened servants were scarcely out of bed when Saunders came in with the news that a steamer wa

atly refused to sleep in the servants' wing, fully a block away, so they were given the next best suite of rooms on the floor, quite cutting off every chance the Br

ut that his lordship always asked for it when they did not have it. The evening before they had philosophically dined on tinned food. She brewed a delightful tea, and Antoine

e by hoping that the Americans were br

concluded, forgetting that she served a lord,

ut wet nurses and chauffeurs. I can't eat this vile stuff." She had already burned her fingers and dropped a slice o

h Deppy's binoculars in the trying effort to make out what was going on in the offing. The company's tug seemed unusually active. It bustled about the big steamer with an industriousness that seemed almost f

gs, the same motionless horde of white-robed natives lined up along the dock building. Trunks, boxes and huge crated obje

he trunks and boxes and crates, and, almost before the Lady Agnes could catch the breath she had lost, the whole troupe was hurrying up the narrow street, luggage and all. The once-sullen natives seemed to be fighting for the privilege of carrying som

in the accomplishment yesterday. He was keeping a sharp lookout for the magic red jacket and the Tommy Atkins lid. Quite secure from observation, he and his wife watched the forerunners w

e's attorney. The Americans were being swiftly, cozily carried to their new home in litters of oriental comfort and elegance, fanned vigorously from both sides by eager boys. First came the Brownes, eager-faced, bright-eyed, alert young people, far better looking than their new en

dship looked at his wife, gulped in symp

gh, though apparently efficacious voices. Trunks rattled about the place, barefooted natives shuffled up and down the corridors and across the galleries, quick

bove their fellow-man. Close at their heels trooped the servants, all of whom took part in the discussion incident to fresh d

ll like Mr. Saunders, who looked on from an obscure window in the

wife's hand in his big fingers. Her face was flushed with excitement, her eyes were wide and sparkling. She was very trim and cool-looking in her white duck; moreover, she was of the type that looks exceedingly

a fashion," she then confessed t

Mrs. Browne. Her voice was very soft and full-th

hand over his brow in bewilderment. His wife w

herefrom. The lawyer, when she had concluded, drew a compass from his pocket, and, walking over to the st

e next thing that the listeners heard from Mrs. Browne's lips. Her ladys

best of everything. Isn't it lucky I pounced upon those rooms?

em!" was all that D

uch as the hunter and the hunted look when they come face to face without previous warning. Then a friendly, half-abashed smile lighted Browne's

said Browne. "This

as meant to convey the impression that he d

roduce myself. I

hought: "Glad to know you, I'm sure." Still he did not rise, nor did he extend

y Deppingham?" he demanded bluntly, wi

is that

e expected to marry. Please don't be alarmed. You won't have to marry me. Our grandfathers did not observe much ceremony in mating us, so I don't see why we should stand upon it in t

is feet in a towering rage. Browne smi

ourtship, you will perceive, is neither here nor there. Please bear with me, Lord Deppingham. It's the silly will that brings us together, not an af

was smiling in spite of herself. This frank, breezy way of pu

'll leave it to them. I simply want you to know that I am not here for the purpose of

oling off suddenly. "Do you mean to say that

you'll have a talk with your solicitor, that that is precisely what you are here for, too. As next nearest of kin, I think both

ered Deppy, loo

't mind, I will consult my solicitor." She bowed ever so slightly, indicating tha

e, also bowing. "I think Mrs. Browne

ery well satisfied," she said pointedly,

not taken the ro

rted away, Deppingham hesitating between his duty t

not to take them. They are said to be unbe

t?" demande

apher take it all down in Bombay. It's our private Baedeker, you see. We called on the Bombay agent for the Skaggs-Wyckholme Company. He li

sterday before we came-every mother's son

ou don't

alled Lady Deppingh

ing uneasily. "By Jove, we're in a pretty mess

"I say, Britt, come here a moment, will you?

d man of forty, with clear grey eyes an

ble? Cut their w

ver laid eyes on 'em," said D

had disappeared, followed Browne to the balustrade, overlooking the upper terrace. The native carriers were leaving the grounds, when Britt's shrill whistle b

. Whereupon Britt pounded the palm of his left hand with an emphatic right fist, occasionally pointing over his shoulder with a stubborn thumb. At last, the argument dwindled down to a force of two-Britt and a tall, sallow Moha

ore two o'clock," said Browne calmly. Dep

t?" he murmured. He afterward said that if he had had Saunde

the American battle

battleship?" demanded Deppi

with a sly grin. "That's the bluff we've worked." He looked around for his wife, and, f

er the horde. It did not appear to depress him in the least that from among the personal effects of more than one peeped the ominous blade of a kris, or the clutch of a great revolver. He waved his hand

into his confidence, he said, in reply to thei

minute. It won't hurt you to let 'em believe that we can blow the Island off the map in half a day, and they won't believe you if you tell 'em anything to the contrary. They just simply know that I can send wireless messages and that a cruiser would be out there to-morrow if necessary, pegging away at these green hills with

ried to convince his sulky little wife that the Americans

dy," she announced. Her mistress looked up

the w

ntleman, my lady. It's on the shady side and quite under the shelf of the mo

n-baked window ledges of the

as hard and set as it could possibly be-which, as a matter of fact, was not noticeably ada

ell, my

wise as to run his finger around the insid

t in these rooms." She tr

e called him George only when it was impo

d came pretty Mrs. Browne. She stood in the d

it must be dreadfully warm here. Really, you should move at once into Mr. Wyckholme's old apa

hod of making it, I do not know, but I am able to record the fact

pingham, half an hour later. "Wha

rive to land on our feet, that's all.

elicious. Where do you

ather brought them over from Londo