l your yacht leave England?" she inquired, after he had
detailed his arrangements to her.

"On Monday next at latest," he answered. "We shall not be very far
behind you."

"Nevertheless it will be a long, long time before I shall see you
again," she continued in a sad tone. "Oh, Jack, Jack, I cannot tell
you how wicked I feel in allowing you to do so much for me. Even now,
at this late hour, I feel I have no right to accept such a sacrifice at
your hands."

"Stop," he replied, holding up his finger in warning. "I thought we
had agreed that nothing more should be said about it."

At this juncture there was the sound of a footstep in the passage
outside, and a few seconds later Madame Bernstein entered the room. On
seeing Browne she hastened forward, and greeted him with all the
effusiveness of which she was mistress. "Ah, Monsieur Browne," she
said, "now that I see you my courage returns. As Katherine has
doubtless told you, everything is prepared, and we are ready to start
for Marseilles as soon as you give the order. Katherine is looking
forward to the voyage; but as for me---- Ah! I do hate the sea more
than anything in the world. That nasty little strip of salt water
which divides England from France is a continual nightmare to me, and I
never cross it without hoping it may be the last time."

Browne tried to comfort her by telling her of the size of the vessel in
which they were to travel, and assured her that, even if she should be
ill, by the time they were out of the Mediterranean she would have
recovered. Seeing that no other consolation was forthcoming, Madame
was compelled to be content with this poor comfort.

Though Browne had already breakfasted in the solid, substantial English
fashion, he was only too glad to persuade Madame Bernstein and his
sweetheart to partake of _dejeuner_ at one of the famous cafes on the
Boulevards. After the meal Madame returned to the Rue Jacquarie in
order to finish a little packing, which she had left to the last
moment; while Browne, who had been looking forward to this opportunity,
assumed possession of Katharine, and carried her to one of the large
shops in the Rue de la Paix, where he purchased for her the best
dressing-bag ever obtained for love or money; to which he added a set
of sables that would have turned even Russian Royalty green with envy.
Never had his money seemed so useful to Browne. These commissions
executed, they returned to the Rue Jacq