th no concern in her fortunes.

It was late afternoon when I got to the quay to take a boat to the
yacht; for, as I calculated, that would leave me a full hour to the
time appointed for sailing. Judge, then, of my amazement when I saw her
standing out, the smoke-wrack flying abaft, and trudging steadily for
the mouth of the harbour. I stood there, I think, fully three minutes
before I moved or took action, but during that space of time I had
jumped at the conclusion. I was not wanted aboard. Was it Day? No; the
idea was absurd, as he was most meticulous in his observation of the
conventions. It certainly was not the Prince. The inference was only
too obvious. The hour of sailing had been shifted. By whom?

I sprang down to the foot of the quay, where one of the big two-decked
harbour ferry-boats was lying.

"Is your steam up?" I shouted to a man on the bridge. "I want you to
catch that yacht."

He stared at me in astonishment, and shook his head. I shouted back
again, and he replied in Portuguese, I assume, of which tongue I am
quite ignorant. I clambered aboard and made my way to him, by which
time he had been joined by another man, with gold lace round his cap. I
repeated my query in French, and the second man replied indolently.

"It was impossible."

"I will give you twenty pounds if you catch her," I said, and fumbled
in my mind for some computation in their wretched currency. I do not
know how many hundred thousand reis I mentioned, but it seemed to have
some effect. Both men stared after the yacht. I added several hundred
thousand more reis, and they were plainly shaken. Heaven knew why I
should have been offering my poor money for the sake of Prince Frederic
of Hochburg. I did not stop to reason, but acted merely on impulse. The
man with the gold band went to the speaking-tube and shouted down it.
The other man began to give brisk orders in a small, thin voice.
Evidently my offer was accepted. I turned and looked out into the bay,
and there was the _Sea Queen_, still steaming leisurely for the heads.

When once the ferry-boat shook herself loose she made fair way. She
champed and churned in a fussy manner, and the great steel crank in her
middle began to thud in a terrifying manner. We had backed out, and
were driving down the harbour at the rate of perhaps nine knots. Was
the _Sea Queen_ making more? It was impossible to judge at that
distance. The yacht might have been a mile away, and if she were going