been cold with the same inert, mysterious
coldness. I shivered.

CHAPTER XXV

A FLYING THRONE

Early next morning Monsieur was taken to the little island, and I felt
that his interview would be long and solemn--perhaps stormy. I hoped so.
He came back for luncheon and immediately left again, having given us no
intimation of his progress. I did not know what Doloria might be
suffering from these visits, but they made me so abominably restive that
during the afternoon I took a pine and crossed to the mainland,
half-heartedly intending to look for deer. It was nearly sundown when I
returned.

"We're packing, sir," said the sailor who tied my punt.

"Packing? Why?"

"Orders, sir."

Without loss of time I hunted up Tommy, finding him and Bilkins busy at
carpentry.

"What's in the wind?" I brusquely demanded, forgetting that Tommy was
rather particular about the way people addressed him.

"Rain," he imperturbably replied; or did he mean reign, and was
employing a vulgar pun to apprize me of Doloria's decision! So I
delivered a ten-second philippic on the poverty of some intellects,
whereupon he left off working and regarded me with amusement.

"Fact is, Lord Chesterfield, I don't know what's in the wind," he said,
"but we're leaving for Little Cove to-morrow at dawn. Bilkins and I are
making a portable throne--in other words, a chair suspended from poles
so Doloria won't have to walk. Professor came over about five o'clock in
a rattling hurry and splendid humor. He's packing Efaw Kotee's effects
now. Smilax left two hours ago with orders for the _Whim_ to be there
and take us off. Add it up for yourself."

"Orders," I angrily exclaimed, for this impertinence on the part of
Monsieur was going too far. "He settles with me, that's all!--and the
_Whim_ stays in Big Cove till I send for her!"

He grinned, then whistled softly.

"So there's no use knicking my knuckles any more on this portable
throne?"

"Not the slightest," I told him.

"Love's first tiff," he sighed, laying down the hammer and beginning to
fill his pipe.

"Love's what?"

"Tootsie-wootsie tiff, I believe I said"--this between puffs as the
match flared high and low over the bowl. "You understand, of course,
that Doloria gave the order."

"Confound you, why didn't you say so! What's happened? Did a message
come?"

"Sure." He stopped smoking and looked at me. "A big limousine drove up
with a note and flowers."

"Be serious," I th