ightning survey--like the instinct of the dweller in wild places of
the earth, who feels danger where all is most quiet, and ever scans the
veld or bush with the involuntary vigilance belonging to the life. His
look rested on Jasmine for a moment before he spoke, and Stafford
inwardly observed that here was an enemy to the young wife whose hatred
was deep. He was conscious, too, that Jasmine realized the antipathy.
Indeed, she had done so from the first days she had seen Krool, and had
endeavoured, without success, to induce Byng to send the man back to
South Africa, and to leave him there last year when he went again to
Johannesburg. It was the only thing in which Byng had proved
invulnerable, and Krool had remained a menace which she vaguely felt
and tried to conquer, which, in vain, Adrian Fellowes had endeavoured
to remove. For in the years in which Fellowes had been Byng's secretary
his relations with Krool seemed amiable and he had made light of
Jasmine's prejudices.

"The butler is out and they come me," Krool said. "Mr. Stafford's
servant is here. There is a girl for to see him, if he will let. The
boy, Jigger, his name. Something happens."

Stafford frowned, then turned to Jasmine. He told her who Jigger was,
and of the incident the day before, adding that he had no idea of the
reason for the visit; but it must be important, or nothing would have
induced his servant to fetch the girl.

"I will come," he said to Krool, but Jasmine's curiosity was roused.

"Won't you see her here?" she asked.

Stafford nodded assent, and presently Krool showed the girl into the
room.

For an instant she stood embarrassed and confused, then she addressed
herself to Stafford. "I'm Lou--Jigger's sister," she said, with white
lips. "I come to ask if you'd go to him. 'E's been hurt bad--knocked
down by a fire-engine, and the doctor says 'e can't live. 'E made yer a
promise, and 'e wanted me to tell yer that 'e meant to keep it; but if
so be as you'd come, and wouldn't mind a-comin', 'e'd tell yer himself.
'E made that free becos 'e had brekfis wiv ye. 'E's all right--the best
as ever--the top best." Suddenly the tears flooded her eyes and
streamed down her pale cheeks. "Oh, 'e was the best--my Gawd, 'e was
the best! If it 'd make 'im die happy, you'd come, y'r gryce, wouldn't
y'r?"

Child of the slums as she was, she was exceedingly comely and was
simply and respectably dressed. Her eyes were big and brown like
Stafford's; h