f
excited men burst into the room. They were shouting with laughter at a
joke which made her blush, and one dragged a companion in by the arm.
Another, breaking off from rude horse-play, came towards her with a
drunken leer. She shrank from his hot face and wine-laden breath as
she drew back, wondering how she could reach her father, who stood in
the doorway trying to restrain his guests. Then a young man sprang
forward, with disgust and anger in his brown face, and she felt that
she was safe. He looked clean and wholesome by contrast with the rest
and his movements were swift and athletic.

Millicent could remember him very well, for she had often thought of
Lieutenant Blake with gratitude. Just as the tipsy gallant stretched
out his hand to seize her, the electric light went out; there was a
brief scuffle in the darkness, the door banged, and when the light
flashed up again only Blake and her father were in the room.
Afterwards her father told her with a look of shame in his handsome,
dissipated face, that he had been afraid of something of the kind
happening and she must leave him. Millicent refused, for worn as he
was by many excesses, his health was breaking down and when he fell ill
she nursed him until he died. She had not seen Lieutenant Blake since.

By and by Mrs. Keith's voice broke in upon her recollections. "It's
possible we may see Bertram and the new Mrs. Challoner. She is going
out with him, but they are to travel by the Canadian Pacific route and
spend some time in Japan before proceeding to his Indian station."
Referring to the date of her letter she resumed, "They may have caught
the boat that has just come in; she's one of the railway Empresses, and
there's an Allan liner due to-morrow. Now I think we'll go to the
hotel and try to get a list of the passengers."

She rose and they walked slowly back along the avenue.

CHAPTER II

MILLICENT RENEWS AN ACQUAINTANCE

Dusk was falling on the broad river, and the bold ridge behind the city
stood out sharp and black against a fading gleam in the western sky,
when Richard Blake hurried along the wharf. Close at hand a big,
sidewheel steamer, spotlessly white, with tiers of decks that towered
above the sheds and blazed with light, was receiving the last of her
passengers, and on reaching the gangway Blake stood aside to let an
elderly lady pass. She was followed by her maid and a girl whose face
he could not see. It was a few minutes