staring after
the lantern, as it vanished in the fog. With a shake of the shoulders
he pulled himself together, marched into the Barracks, and boldly
opened the door.

"Miss Gabriel!"

"Major Vigoureux!"

"Certainly, ma'am--these being my own quarters, unless--" He paused and
gazed around, as if to make sure that his eyes were not deceiving him.

"Yes, yes--and at this time of night. As I was just saying to Charlotte
here, 'Think what a terrible construction one might put on it!'"

The Commandant lifted his eyebrows. ("I behaved like a brute," he
confessed afterwards, "but the woman, a few hours before, had shown no
mercy to me.") "Indeed, ma'am?" said he. "A construction? Then you must
invent one for me, please, since I can think of none."

"We have had the most terrible experience, sir--the most terrible
fright! You have seen Mrs. Treacher?"

"Has anything happened to Mrs. Treacher?"

"No--but it all came about through the fog----"

"--and my husband deserting me," put in Mrs. Pope.

The Commandant passed a hand across his brow. The gesture seemed to
express perplexity; in truth it covered amusement and a kind of fearful
joy in his newly-found talent for dissimulation.

"My dear Mrs. Pope," he answered, his voice faltering a little, "You
don't mean to tell me that your excellent husband----"

"Of course she doesn't," snapped Miss Gabriel. "She means to say that
the gentlemen were escorting us home, but, meeting the coastguard with
the news of this terrible wreck----"

"A wreck, ma'am?"

"Why, God bless the man! Don't you know? Haven't you heard the guns
going?... But of course you have. Mrs. Treacher told me you were down
helping with the boats--you and her husband and Archelaus, though what
help you three supposed yourselves capable of giving," wound up Miss
Gabriel, reverting for a moment to her customary manner, "I don't
pretend to guess."

"As for that," the Commandant answered gravely, "I am happy to tell you
there has been no wreck. True, a vessel in distress--a large liner--had
found herself among the Hell-deeps, of all abominably awkward places.
But by the mercy of Heaven she managed to extricate herself, and has
dropped anchor, not half an hour ago, in the Roads."

Miss Gabriel stared. "The Hell-deeps ... and at anchor in the Roads?"
she repeated stupidly. "Oh, will someone kindly tell me whether I am
standing on my head or my heels! A large liner?--the thing's
impossible! And in a fog t