American, "which is the swellest suite of rooms you've got in the
house?"

"De luxe A," responded Pelletan. "Monsieur wishes--"

"I wish you to get it ready at once--"

"Monsieur will occupy it himself, no toubt?"

"No, I won't; I'll stay right where I am. But between seven and eight
o'clock to-morrow morning, there will arrive an English ship of war--"

"A sheep-of-t'e-war!" echoed Pelletan, growing pale.

"Certainly, a ship of war, and from it there will disembark a man named
Vernon and his suite of four or five people. You will give him apartment
A."

Pelletan caught his breath.

"Monsieur Vernon iss, I suppose, a friend?" he stammered.

"No," said Rushford, "I've never seen him. But we'll have to treat him
well. He's the head of the British foreign office, Pelletan; and one of
the high nobility. Beside him, Zeit-Zeit will look like thirty cents!"

CHAPTER III

Distinguished arrivals at Weet-sur-Mer

Even at this unaccustomed hour of the morning, the beach was black with
people. It was not to bathe that they had come, for a chill north wind
was blowing; nor was it to promenade, for they were not promenading;
indeed, it was the fashionable hour for neither of these things, and no
one ever dreamed of doing them at any hour other than the fashionable
one. It was rather the fashionable hour to turn painfully over in one's
bed, and ring the bell, and signify that coffee and rolls would be
acceptable.

This morning there had been scant time for such refreshment, or for that
preliminary stretching which is so grateful to bodies wearied by late
hours and too-rapid living. Instead, nearly all the sojourners at
Weet-sur-Mer had arisen aching from their beds, had hurried forth to the
beach, and stood there now, facing unanimously seawards, staring toward
the dim horizon, only moving convulsively from time to time in the
effort to keep warm. Those who had glasses used them; those who had
none, strained nature's binoculars to the limit of vision. From all of
which it will be seen that the notary had done his work well, and that
neither had Monsieur Pelletan been backward in spreading the great news
of the unparalleled occurrence which was about to happen.

"He iss to arrive between t'e hours of seven unt eight," he had
announced. "Hiss Highness, pe it understood, Lord Vernon, t'e great
Englishman. He comes in a special vessel--a sheep-of-t'e-war," he added
with a triumphant flourish. "He could pring mit'