a pretty good
bonus!"

Code had dinner with his mother that night, and appeared for it
carefully dressed. What was his surprise to see his mother in her one
silk dress.

"I'm going up to Mallaby House," he said in answer to her inquiring
look. "But you! What's all this gaiety, mother?"

"I am going to hear an account of how you behaved yourself on the
voyage, Code," she said, attempting severity.

"By an eye-witness?" Visions of Ellinwood, painfully arrayed, danced
in his head.

"Yes."

"Um-m. Well, I won't be home until late, then, because it's a long
story."

"You rascal!" said his mother, and kissed him.

On the way to Mallaby House (it was up the old familiar path that he
had raced down so recklessly the night of the great fire), he thought
over the thing that his eyes had seen for an instant the night before
in the jail.

Elsa loved him, he knew now, and she had always loved him. He cursed
himself for a stupid fool in that it had taken him so long to find
out, but he was relieved to know at last upon what footing to meet
her. She was no longer a baffling and alluring creature of a hundred
chameleon moods; she was a lonely girl.

Martin, who had been his body-servant while aboard the mystery
schooner, opened the door, and bowed with decided pleasure at seeing
his temporary master. He ventured congratulations that Schofield was
free of the law's shadow.

"Mrs. Mallaby is up-stairs, sir," he said, taking Code's hat. "Just
step into the drawing-room, sir, and I'll call her."

It was a sample of Elsa's taste that she illuminated all her rooms
with the soft flame of candles or the mellow light of lamps. The
mahogany furniture, much of it very old and historic among the island
families, gleamed in the warm lights. There were built-in shelves of
books against one wall, splendid engravings, etchings, and a few
colored prints of the daughters of Louis XV.

Presently Elsa came down the broad staircase. Her hair was parted
simply in the middle and done into two wheels, one over each pink ear.
Her dress was a plain one of China silk with a square Dutch neck. It
fitted her splendid figure beautifully.

Never had she appeared to Code so fresh and simple. The great lady was
gone, the keen advocate had disappeared, the austere arbiter of
Freekirk Head's destinies was no more. She seemed a girl. He arose and
took her hand awkwardly.

"I am glad you came so soon," she said; "but aren't you neglecting
other peop