me, sailed for the Solomon Group. We decided,
instead of proceeding direct to the Solomons for our cargo of black
humanity, to first cruise through the New Hebrides Group, in the hope we
might learn something of the _Lupetea_."

"It makes me feel as if I were a real missing princess, Captain Frewen."

"So you were--until to-night. Well, from the New Hebrides we went north
to the Solomons, where we were singularly fortunate in getting five
hundred natives in a few weeks without any trouble. I landed them at
Samatau without losing a single man, and they are now working on the new
plantation as happy as sand-boys.

"Raymond was at home when I returned, but there was still one vessel
away looking for you--the cutter _Alrema and Niya_--and in fact we long
since decided not to entirely abandon the search for a full year.

"I left on a second trip for the Solomons just nine days ago, and we
sighted this island early this morning. I did not think that we should
hear anything of the _Lupetea_ so far to the westward--over a thousand
miles from Samoa--but as three of our coloured crew are down with fever,
I decided to anchor, leave them here in care of the natives, and also
find out if any wreckage had been seen. We could not see any signs of
houses on this side of the island, but did see a man making gestures to
the ship from the reef; however, as I did not intend to go ashore until
the morning, we did not lower a boat. You can imagine our surprise when
the glare of a blue light was seen."

"Mate's boat is alongside, sir," announced the bos'un.

And in a few minutes the smiling Serena entered the cabin and placed
little Marie in her mother's arms.

* * * * *

Shortly after dawn the merry click of the windlass pawls told Mrs.
Marston that the _Esmeralda_ was getting underweigh again for Samoa--for
the projected voyage to the Solomon Islands was of course abandoned.
Old Manning and his stalwart sons came off to say goodbye, and at Mrs.
Marston's earnest request the trader consented to accept from her some
hundreds of pounds' worth of trade goods from the well-filled storeroom
of the _Esmeralda_.

"Goodbye, Mrs. Marston, and God bless you and the little one, and give
you all a safe passage to Samoa," he cried, as he descended the side
into his boat.

For many hours she remained on deck watching the green little island as
it sunk astern, and thinking of the kindly-hearted old t