ger. "But Miss Beverly, it
seems to me, has as much right to choose who her guests shall be on board
her own yacht as in her own house. If she were here to speak for
herself----"

"She is here to speak for herself," said Virginia, at his shoulder.
"Marchese Loria, I invite you to come on board. I invite also the United
States Consul, whose protection I claim. But I do not choose to have
other guests."

"The health officer has a right to board us, you know, Virginia," said
Roger in a loud tone; then close to her ear: "Hang it all! we are more or
less at their mercy. We can't get away without coaling, and they know it.
Our poor little cannon are of no use to us here. We can't afford to defy
any of the powers interested; they've got too many gunboats in the
harbour. Bluff is our game, and we've got to play it for all it's worth.
But you're perfectly right about the Consul. Only, if you don't want
Loria, you needn't----"

"I do want him," Virginia hastily whispered--"for a special reason. And I
want to talk to him alone. But for heaven's sake keep the Frenchman off!
Who knows what _coup_ he may be planning?"

As if in answer, though he could not possibly have heard, De Letz
announced from the boat that he did not wish to insist upon boarding the
yacht. He would trust his business in Mr. Chandler's hands, since the
lady preferred it. This easy-going courtesy alarmed Virginia. She felt
instinctively that the enemy had a strong trump with which to confound
her unexpectedly. Still, if she did not quite see the enemy's game, at
least they could not see hers.

The gangway was let down. Loria, Chandler, and the medical officer of the
port came on board. Then the gangway was drawn up, though the French
Consul and the four oarsmen sat placidly in the boat.

The purser, who was busy receiving stores, was sent for, to be
interviewed by the doctor. Roger, standing by, gave half his attention to
the conversation between these two, and half to the United States Consul,
who plunged at once into the subject of the escaped convict.

Monsieur de Letz had informed him, he announced, that if the fugitive
were not given up to justice by the American yacht, it would be regarded
by France as a direct and deliberate affront. Meanwhile, the medical
officer bombarded the unfortunate purser with questions. What ports had
been visited? Where had the passengers been taken on? None since
Alexandria? Humph! Alexandria was considered an infected p