o-morrow."

"No," said I curtly, for the suggestion annoyed me. "It is nothing to
me. I told you because you knew. And I told Mr. Holgate----" I paused.

"Because I'm your chum," said the third officer.

I did not contradict him. I had spoken really out of the excitement of
my discovery. Certainly I had not spoken because Holgate was my chum.

CHAPTER IV

AN AMAZING PROPOSITION

As I had said, it was no business of mine, and, having divulged my
news, I was in no haste to go about with it like a common gossip. That
Prince Frederic of Hochburg was Mr. Morland, and that Miss Morland was
Princess Alix, I was as assured as that I had identified in my patient
the well-known Parisian singer Yvonne Trebizond. But, having made the
discovery, I promised myself some interest in watching the course of
the rumour. It would spread about the ship like fire and would be
whispered over taffrails, in galleys, and in stokehole. But, to my
surprise, I could observe no signs of this flight of gossip. No one
certainly offered me any communication on the subject, and I observed
no curiosity and no surprise. The mess conducted itself with
equanimity, and nothing was hinted of princes or of emperors, or of
mysterious secrets. No facts ever hid themselves so cunningly as these
obviously somewhat startling facts, and I wondered at the silence, but
still held my tongue.

Mademoiselle continued to give me trouble during the next day, but that
was more in the way of unreasonable demands and petulance than through
hysteric exhibitions. She did not repeat her request to be landed,
which was now quite impracticable, as we were well out in the Atlantic,
but she referred to it.

"Where are we, doctor?" she inquired languidly, and I told her; at
which she considered. "Well, perhaps it is worth it," she said and
smiled at me confidingly.

Of Mr. Morland I saw little, for he was shut in his cabin a great part
of the day, reading or writing, and smoking without cessation. And he
walked regularly on the hurricane deck with his sister. Once I
encountered him in mademoiselle's room, and he nodded.

"She is getting well, doctor; is it not so?" he asked in a pleasant
way, and exhibited a tenderness in his words and manner to mademoiselle
which I should not have associated with him.

Of his sister I saw even less, except in the distance, but her, too, I
met in her friend's room. Mademoiselle was talkative that day, the
second of my attendance