er not meet you
as a friend. They probably knew we both came down on the _Hatteras_,
but that's no reason for our being acquainted."

"And now we must be casual acquaintances--if your work would prosper,"
Bedient said.

"I suppose so."

"The more I think of it, the plainer it becomes that I've sort of
disorganized Rey and his intimates. It really is odd for me to be
here----"

Miss Mallory searched his face in her keen, swift way.

"When I came to understand at all," she said, "I didn't expect to see
you here.... It isn't about the war, is it?"

"No," he replied. Then it occurred to him that she might meet the man
he wished to see, and he added: "I have a message for a man named
Framtree. Senor Rey apparently thinks this man would not be safe in my
hands. At least, I'm not allowed to see him alone----"

"And he's here?"

"Yes, I'm sure of that."

"I haven't met anyone of that name."

"You couldn't mistake. In my opinion, Miss Mallory, he's easily the
best-looking man on the Island."

"I'm sure I haven't met him."... She hesitated, smiling-queerly. "But
if I should, is there any way I can help you?"

"Not by speaking to him about me. That would yoke you with my
fortunes."

"How, then?"

Her eagerness appealed to him. "If you could tell me at any time just
where I might find this Framtree--yes, that would help," he said, with
a laugh.

"I'd be proud to help you in any way.... It's the most fascinating
place I've ever been in," she added with an effort. "I haven't heard a
thing about war, but the whole establishment is buzzing with
conspiracies and mystery. There isn't any rest. Everyone is afraid of
his neighbor; no one trusts himself to fall asleep in peace, for fear
someone will pry his secret away--a terrible atmosphere--but what an
adventure if it breaks into war before my eyes.... And I've met the
Glow-worm----"

Her whole manner changed for an instant. Miss Mallory was now an
emancipated creature, living to the very rim of her being. She belonged
to the tropics, and was playing a game all spiced with enchantments....
Bedient remembered what Captain Carreras had said about the Glow-worm,
on the day of his first coming to Equatoria. The story attached was
that Celestino Rey had found this woman among the red lights of Buenos
Aires, and had forced her to come with him. Bedient was not
particularly interested, but Miss Mallory's study of the hidden-flamed
creature, Senora Rey, and what she told h