me pale
with the anguish of my breaking heart; he calls me a felon. May God's
curse light on him and you, and all mankind!"

"All right," said the squinting barber, apathetically; "my price is ten
bob, whether or no."

Seaton felt in his pockets. "I have not got the money about me," said he.

"Oh, I'm not particular; leave your watch."

Seaton handed the squinting vampire his watch without another word and
let his head fall upon his breast.

The barber cut his beard close with the scissors, and made trivial
remarks from time to time, but received no reply.

At last, extortion having put him in a good humor, he said, "Don't be so
down-hearted, my lad. You are not the first that has got into trouble and
had to change faces."

Seaton vouchsafed no reply.

The barber shaved him clean, and was astonished at the change, and
congratulated him. "Nobody will ever know you," said he; "and I'll tell
you why; your mouth, it is inclined to turn up a little; now a mustache
it bends down, and that alters such a mouth as yours entirely. But, I'll
tell you what, taking off this beard shows me something. _You are a
gentleman!!_ Make it a sovereign, sir."

Seaton staggered out of the place without a word.

"Sulky, eh?" muttered the barber. He gathered up some of the long hair he
had cut off Seaton's chin with his scissors, admired it, and put it away
in paper.

While thus employed, a regular customer looked in for his cup of coffee.
It was the policeman who had taken Seaton for a convivial soul.

CHAPTER VII.

GENERAL ROLLESTON'S servants made several trips to the _Proserpine,_
carrying boxes, etc.

But Helen herself clung to the house till the last moment. "Oh, papa!"
she cried, "I need all my resolution, all my good faith, to keep my word
with Arthur, and leave you. Why, why did I promise? Why am I such a slave
to my word?"

"Because," said the old general, with a voice not so firm as usual, "I
have always told you that a lady is not to be inferior to a gentleman in
any virtue except courage. I've heard my mother say so often; and I've
taught it to my Helen. And, my girl, where would be the merit of keeping
our word, if we only kept it when it cost us nothing?"

He promised to come after, in three months at furthest, and the brave
girl dried her tears as well as she could, not to add to the sadness he
fought against as gallantly as he had often fought the enemies of his
country.

The _Proserpine_ was to sail