hip with two
American girls who were strangers to me. This, I thought, would never be
more than a chance companionship, and when her time with them was over,
the Misses Maud and Suzannah would remain ignorant of her real position,
which they had no occasion for suspecting. But I could not fail to
perceive that our relations with the commodore must aggravate our
difficulties to a remarkable extent.

Our society affords shelter, certainly, to many a hidden romance: we
have both honest loves and shady intrigues confused and interlaced in
its mazes so that they escape all notice. Yet, certain as I felt that
nothing could occur to betray our extraordinary secret, I was troubled
all the same at the part which I should have to play in this family with
which my uncle was on such intimate terms.

Placed face to face with the inexorable logic of facts, I could not long
deceive myself as to the course which the most elementary sense of
delicacy prescribed to me. I could see clearly during this last evening
party, that Kondje-Gul had no further need of Madame Montier's lessons
to complete her social education. Count Terals house being now ready to
receive her, I need only settle her there with her mother in order to
commence at once the happy life of which we had so often dreamed. Then
it would be easy to withdraw gradually from the society of the Montague
girls, and thus banish all future risks.

Having decided upon this course, I wrote the same evening to Kondje-Gul
to ask her to prepare for her return.

[Illustration]

[Illustration]

CHAPTER XI.

You know, my dear Louis, that whenever I have formed any plan, whether a
reckless one or even a wise one, I go straight at it with the
stubbornness of a mule. This, perhaps, explains many of my follies.
According to my view (as a believer in free-will), man is himself a will
or independent power served by his organs; he is a kind of manifestation
of the spirit of nature created to control matter. Any man who abdicates
his rights, or gives way before obstacles, abandons his mission and
returns to the rank of the beasts. His is a lost power, which has
evaporated into space. Such is my opinion.

This highly philosophical prelude was necessary, as you will see, in
order to fix my principles before proceeding any further; and, above
all, in order to defend myself beforehand against any rash accusation of
fickleness in my plans. Science has mysterious paths, along which we