out against the sky line, but from
every window lights were flashing, and the windows of the dining-room
seemed to reflect a perfect blaze of light. Andrew made his way to the
back entrance, and entering unobserved, made his way up to his own room.

* * * * *

Dinner was over, and the little party of three were settling down to
their coffee and cigarettes when the Princess' maid came down and
whispered in her mistress' ear. The Princess turned to her host
perplexed.

"Has any one seen anything of Jeanne?" she inquired. "Reynolds has just
told me that she has not returned at all."

"I thought you said that she was lying down with a headache," Cecil
interposed eagerly.

"I thought so myself," the Princess answered. "Early this afternoon she
told me that she had no sleep last night, that she had a very bad
headache, and that she was going to bed. As a matter of fact she went
out almost at once, and has not returned." Cecil was already on his way
to the door.

"We will send out into the village at once," he said, "and some one
must go on the marshes. There are plenty of places there where it would
have been absolutely unsafe for her in such a storm as we have had.
Ring the bell, Forrest, will you?"

Andrew stepped in and closed the door behind him.

"It is not necessary," he said. "I can tell you all about Miss Le
Mesurier."

CHAPTER XIX

There was a moment's breathless silence as Andrew stood there looking
in upon the little group. Then he left his position at the door and
came up to the table round which they were seated.

"Madam," he said to the Princess, "your daughter is safe. She came down
to the island this afternoon, and was unable to return owing to the
storm."

The Princess gave a little sigh of relief.

"Foolish child!" she said. "But where is she now, Mr. Andrew?"

"She is still at the island," Andrew answered. "It was impossible for
her to leave, so I came here to tell you of her whereabouts."

"It was extremely thoughtful of you," the Princess said graciously.

"If Miss Le Mesurier was unable to leave the island, how was it that
you came?" Major Forrest asked, looking at Andrew through his eyeglass
as though he were some sort of natural curiosity.

"I swam over," Andrew answered. "It was a very short distance."

It was about this time that they all noticed the fact that Andrew was
wearing clothes of an altogether different fashion to the fisherman's
garb in which they had seen h