again."

And Jean having once more hoisted the skull and cross-bones at our
masthead, and assumed a specially savage scowl as he stood with folded
arms on our bow deck, we made what a mild imagination might have
called rather an impressive entry as we swept into the Manning
landing.

I was not surprised to see Edouard himself there, and his wife, and
some thirty odd dogs and as many blacks, waiting for us at the wharf.
Nor was I surprised to see that all seemed somewhat to marvel at our
manner of advent, though I knew that Edouard, through his
field-glasses, had recognized both my boat and myself long before we
made the last curve and came gently in to the wharf where the grinning
darkies could catch our line.

What did surprise me--and perhaps for a time I may have shown
surprise--was to see, in all this gay throng, two forms not usual on
the Manning landing. One was the elegantly garbed and rather stunning
figure of Sally Byington; and the other the robust, full-bodied,
gorgeously arrayed form of my old friend, Cal Davidson! How or why
they came there I could not for the moment guess.

"'Tis he--yon varlet!" I heard a stern voice hiss at my ear. "Beshrew
me, but it shall go hard with him! I'm loading her up with marbles
now!" But I had no more than time to persuade my two lieutenants to
modify this purpose, and partially to disarm themselves, before the
two groups were mingling, with much chattering and laughing and gay
saluting.

Edouard, hat in hand, was on deck before our fenders touched the
wharf, laughing and grasping my hands and looking up at my flag.

"I knew you were coming," said he. "Fact is, all the country's been
looking for you. Davidson just got in a couple of hours ago--and you
know his lady is an old friend of Mrs. Manning's. And----"

He was shaking the hands of Mrs. Daniver and Helena almost before I
could present them. Auntie Lucinda bestowed upon him the gaze of a
solemn and somewhat tear-stained visage (though I saw distinct
approval on her face as she caught sight of the great mansion house
among the giant oaks, and witnessed the sophisticatedness of the group
on the landing, and the easy courtesy of Edouard himself).

"By Jove! old man!" the latter found time to say to me, "I
congratulate you--she's away beyond her pictures." He did not mean
Mrs. Daniver; and he never had seen Helena before. I could only press
his hand and attempt no comment as to the congratulations, for part of
th