o me, instead of being words that I
could have fluently repeated from beginning to end without an error; it
was as if, by virtue of mere gazing at the document, I hoped to wring
more meaning from it, to divine what had been in the mind which had
composed it; but instead of this, I seemed to get less from it, instead
of more. Had the boy's purpose been to mystify me, he could scarce have
done better. I think that he had no such intention, for it would have
been wholly unlike him; but I saw no sign in it that I had really helped
him, had really shaken his old quixotic resolve, nor did I see any
of his having found a new way of his own out of the trap. I could not
believe that the dark road of escape had taken any lodgement in his
thought, but had only passed over it, like a cloud with a heavy shadow.
But these are surmises at the best: if John had formed any plan, I can
never know it, and Juno's remarks at breakfast on Sunday morning sounded
strange, like something a thousand miles away. For she spoke of the
wedding, and of the fact that it would certainly be a small one. She
went over the names of the people who would have to be invited, and
doubted if she were one of these. But if she should be, then she would
go--for the sake of Miss Josephine St. Michael, she declared. In short,
it was perfectly plain that Juno was much afraid of being left out, and
that wild horses could not drag her away from it, if an invitation came
to her. But, as I say, this side of the wedding seemed to have nothing
to do with it, when I thought of all that lay beneath; my one interest
to-day was to see John Mayrant, to get from him, if not by some word,
then by some look or intonation, a knowledge of what he meant to do.
Therefore, disappointment and some anxiety met me when I stepped from
the Hermana's gangway upon her deck, and Charley asked me if he was
coming. But the launch, sent back to wait, finally brought John,
apologizing for his lateness.

Meanwhile, I was pleased to find among the otherwise complete party
General Rieppe. What I had seen of him from a distance held promise, and
the hero's nearer self fulfilled it. We fell to each other's lot for the
most natural of reasons: nobody else desired the company of either of
us. Charley was making himself the devoted servant of Hortense, while
Kitty drew Beverly, Bohm, and Gazza in her sprightly wake. To her,
indeed, I made a few compliments during the first few minutes after my
coming abo