e the slightest tremor in its note.

"I am equal to whatever fate my father is equal to," she said, "nor do
I think that a life upon one of these beautiful little islands would be
much of a hardship--certainly not if it will help to promote the
success of his scientific experiments."

She used the last words on a chance that she might have hit upon the
true reason for the contemplated isolation from civilization. They had
served their purpose too in deceiving von Horn who was now half
convinced that Professor Maxon must have divulged more of their plans
to his daughter than he had led the medical man to believe. Perceiving
her advantage from the expression on the young man's face, Virginia
followed it up in an endeavor to elicit the details.

The result of her effort was the knowledge that on the second day they
were to sail for the Pamarung Islands upon a small schooner which her
father had purchased, with a crew of Malays and lascars, and von Horn,
who had served in the American navy, in command. The precise point of
destination was still undecided--the plan being to search out a
suitable location upon one of the many little islets which dot the
western shore of the Macassar Strait.

Of the many men Virginia had met during the month at Singapore von Horn
had been by far the most interesting and companionable. Such time as
he could find from the many duties which had devolved upon him in the
matter of obtaining and outfitting the schooner, and signing her two
mates and crew of fifteen, had been spent with his employer's daughter.

The girl was rather glad that he was to be a member of their little
company, for she had found him a much travelled man and an interesting
talker with none of the, to her, disgusting artificialities of the
professional ladies' man. He talked to her as he might have talked to
a man, of the things that interest intelligent people regardless of sex.

There was never any suggestion of familiarity in his manner; nor in his
choice of topics did he ever ignore the fact that she was a young girl.
She had felt entirely at ease in his society from the first evening
that she had met him, and their acquaintance had grown to a very
sensible friendship by the time of the departure of the Ithaca--the
rechristened schooner which was to carry them away to an unguessed fate.

The voyage from Singapore to the Islands was without incident.
Virginia took a keen delight in watching the Malays and lascar