rifle to the curved and
terrible knife used by the most savage of known tribes.

"How are things in the quarters?" Sir Timothy asked.

"Every one is well, sir. Doctor Ballantyne arrived this afternoon. His
report is excellent."

Sir Timothy nodded and turned away. He looked into the great gallery,
its waxen floors shining with polish, ready for the feet of the dancers
on the morrow; looked into a beautiful concert-room, with an organ that
reached to the roof; glanced into the banquetting hall, which extended
far into the winter-garden; made his way up the broad stairs, turned
down a little corridor, unlocked a door and passed into his own suite.
There was a small dining-room, a library, a bedroom, and a bathroom
fitted with every sort of device. A man-servant who had heard him enter,
hurried from his own apartment across the way.

"You are not dining here, sir?" he enquired.

Sir Timothy shook his head.

"No, I am dining late at The Sanctuary," he replied. "I just strolled
over to see how the preparations were going on. I shall be sleeping over
there, too. Any prowlers?"

"Photographer brought some steps and photographed the horses in the
park from the top of the wall this afternoon, sir," the man announced.
"Jenkins let him go. Two or three pressmen sent in their cards to you,
but they were not allowed to pass the lodge."

Sir Timothy nodded. Soon he left the house and crossed the park towards
The Sanctuary. He was followed all the way by horses, of which there
were more than thirty in the great enclosure. One mare greeted him with
a neigh of welcome and plodded slowly after him. Another pressed her
nose against his shoulder and walked by his side, with his hand upon her
neck. Sir Timothy looked a little nervously around, but the park itself
lay almost like a deep green pool, unobserved, and invisible from
anywhere except the house itself. He spoke a few words to each of the
horses, and, producing his key, passed through the door in the wall
into The Sanctuary garden, closing it quickly as he recognised Francis
standing under the cedar-tree.

"Has Lady Cynthia arrived yet?" he enquired.

"Not yet," Francis replied. "Margaret will be here in a minute. She told
me to say that cocktails are here and that she has ordered dinner served
on the terrace."

"Excellent!" Sir Timothy murmured. "Let me try one of your cigarettes."

"Everything ready for the great show to-morrow night?" Francis asked, as
he served t