ave been
in the Anglo-Saxon or Norman period. Dr. Cromarty, will you mind bringing
me up the first three volumes of Green? You will find them on shelf Z8.
Also the last volume, for the index."

A few moments later Mr. Gilman, with three volumes of Green on his knees
and one in his hand, said reproachfully to Mr. Price:

"Mr. Price, I requested you to see that the leaves of all our books were
cut. These volumes are absolutely uncut."

"Well, sir, I'm working through them as fast as I can. But I haven't got
to shelf Z8 yet."

"I cannot stop to cut them now," said Mr. Gilman, politely displeased.
"What a pity! It would have been highly instructive to know what Green says
about Moze. I always like to learn everything I can about the places we
stop at. And this place must be full of historic interest. Wyatt, have you
had that paraffin counted properly?" He spoke very coldly to the captain.

It thus occurred that what John Richard Green said about Moze was never
known on board the yacht _Ariadne_.

Audrey listened to the episode in a reverie. She was thinking about Musa's
intractability and inexcusable rudeness, and about what she should do in
the matter of Madame Piriac's impending visit to Audrey Moze at Flank Hall,
and through the texture of these difficult topics she could see, as it
were, shining the sprightly simplicity, the utter ingenuousness, the
entirely reliable fidelity of Mr. Gilman. She felt, rather than
consciously realised, that he was a dull man. But she liked his dullness;
it reassured her; it was tranquillising; it was even adorable. She liked
also his attitude towards Moze. She had never suspected, no one had ever
hinted to her, that Moze was full of historic interest. But looking at it
now from the yacht which had miraculously wafted her past the Flank buoy at
dead of night, she perceived Moze in a quite new aspect--a pleasure which
she owed to Mr. Gilman's artless interest in things. (Not that he was
artless in all affairs! No; in the great masculine affairs he must be far
from artless, for had he not made all his money himself?)

Then Madame Piriac appeared on deck, armed and determined. Audrey found,
as hundreds of persons had found, that it was impossible to deny Madame
Piriac. Beautiful, gracious, elegant, kind, when she would have a thing she
would have it. Audrey had to descend and prepare herself. She had to
reascend ready for the visit. But at the critical and dreadful moment of
going asho