"I shall never be able to
repay you for all you have done for me."

"I want no repayment but your love," he answered.

"Si vous n'etes pas un voyageur, m'sieu, ayez l'obligeance de
debarquer," said a gruff voice in his ear.

Seeing that there was nothing left but to say good-bye, Browne kissed
Katherine, and, unable to bear any more, made for the gangway. Five
minutes later the great ship was under way, and Katherine had embarked
upon her voyage to the East.

CHAPTER XIX

As soon as the mail-boat, which was carrying Katherine and Madame
Bernstein to the East, was out of sight, Browne turned to his man, who
was waiting beside him, and said: "Now, Davis, a cab, and quickly too.
We must not miss that train for London whatever happens."

As it was, they were only just in time. He had scarcely taken his seat
before the train began to move out of the station. Placing himself in
a corner of the carriage, he endeavoured to interest himself in a book;
but it was of no use. Though his material body was seated in the
carriage being whirled away across the green plains of Southern France,
his actual self was on board the great mail-boat, which was cutting its
way through the blue waters, carrying Katherine mile by mile farther
out of his reach. Dreary indeed did Europe seem to him now. It was a
little before twelve o'clock when the train left Marseilles; it was
nearly four next afternoon when he sighted the waters of the Channel at
Calais. Much to his astonishment and delight, Jimmy Foote met him at
Dover, and travelled back to town with him. During his absence Browne
had entrusted their arrangements to his care; and in consequence Jimmy
carried about with him an air of business, which at other times was
quite unusual to him.

"I have been down to Southampton," he reported, "and have seen Mason.
He was hard at work getting the stores aboard, and asked me to tell you
he will be able to sail without fail early on Monday morning. When do
you think we had better go down?"

"On Sunday," said Browne. "We may as well get on board as soon as we
can."

Though he spoke in this casual way, he knew that in his heart he was
waiting the hour of departure with an impatience, that bordered almost
on desperation. He longed to see the yacht's head pointed down
Channel, and to know that at last she was really in pursuit of the
other boat, which had been granted such a lengthy start. On reaching
London they drove together