n, who had been for a moment with Polly, now came into the room with
his usual noisy bustle, and Deena got up and, surrendering the baby to
the nurse, led the way downstairs.

At the library door Stephen paused to whisper to Ben:

"Stay with me while I tell her," in tones of abject fright; but Ben
shook his head.

"Look here, old man," he said, in mild remonstrance, "if you had had a
baby last night, you wouldn't be casting about for fresh trouble
to-day--now, would you?"

Stephen gave him an indignant glance, and, following Deena, he shut
the library door. He did it in so pronounced a way that she looked up
surprised, and was even more at a loss to account for the gravity of
his expression; she wondered whether he had thought her rude yesterday
when she had disappeared from the table at lunch and had never
returned, but it was not like French to be touchy.

"I left you very unceremoniously yesterday," she began, "but the nurse
appeared for a moment at the door, and I did not want to alarm Ben.
You were not offended?"

"Believe me, no," French answered, with a sort of shudder; "for the
first time in my life I was glad to see you go--your presence was
torture to me--I was concealing something from you, Mrs. Ponsonby, and
it has got to get itself told."

While he spoke her expression changed rapidly from amazement to alarm,
and she got up and came close to him--waiting--but without a word.

"Simeon is lost," he said, hoarsely, hurling the bald fact at her
before his courage failed. "I tried to tell you yesterday," he went
on, drawing the cables from his pocket, "but I couldn't; it all seemed
so vague at first, and I ventured to wait until I got more news."

She was standing before him with her hands clasped and her face deadly
pale, but with a calm that frightened him.

"Do you mean lost at sea?" she asked, in a steady voice--toneless but
perfectly clear.

He shook his head.

"No--on land. He was hunting--it must have been the very hunt we were
talking about--and wandered from his party. A fog came on, and they
were unable to find him. Lopez telegraphs that they sent out search
parties for a fortnight, but could find no trace."

He longed for a word from her, but none came.

"At last they abandoned hope," he concluded. "The expedition is now on
its way home."

She had turned her back upon him, and he waited in misery to hear her
sob, to see her shoulders shake with her weeping; but, instead, the
whole