ncs. He'll take the
child's salary, anyway, if this thing turns out well."

"Jacqueline," I said, "we can't afford to pay you much money, you
know."

"Money?" repeated the child, vacantly. "_Money!_ If I had my arms
full--so!--I would throw it into the world--so!"--she glanced at
Speed--"reserving enough for a new skirt, monsieur, of which I stand
in some necessity."

The quaint seriousness, the resolute fearlessness of this little maid
of Paradise touched us both, I think, as she stood there restlessly,
balancing on her slim bare feet, finger-tips poised on her hips.

"Won't you take me?" she asked, sweetly.

"I'll tell you what I'll do, Jacqueline," said I. "Very early in the
morning I'll go down to your house and see your father. Then, if he
makes no objection, I'll get you to put on a pretty swimming-suit, all
made out of silver scales, and you can show me, there in the sea, how
you can dive and swim and play at mermaid. Does that please you?"

She looked earnestly at me, then at Speed.

"Is it a promise?" she asked, in a quivering voice.

"Yes, Jacqueline."

"Then I thank you, M'sieu Scarlett,... and you, m'sieur, who ride the
elephant so splendidly.... And I will be waiting for you when you
come.... We live in the house below the Saint-Julien Light.... My
father is pilot of the port.... Anybody will tell you." ...

"I will not forget," said I.

She bade us good-night very prettily, stepped back out of the circle
of torch-light, and vanished--there is no other word for it.

"Gracious," said Speed, "wasn't that rather sudden? Or is that the
child yonder? No, it's a bush. Well, Scarlett, there's an uncanny
young one for you--no, not uncanny, but a spirit in its most delicate
sense. I've an idea she's going to find poor Byram's lost luck for
him."

"Or break her neck," I observed.

Speed was quiet for a long while.

"By-the-way," he said, at last, "are you going to tell the Countess
about that fellow Buckhurst?"

"I sent a note to her before I fed my lions," I replied.

"Are you going to see her?"

"If she desires it."

"Who took the note, Scarlett?"

"Jacqueline's father,... that Lizard fellow."

"Well, don't let's stir up Buckhurst now," said Speed. "Let's do
what we can for the governor first."

"Of course," said I. "And I'm going to bed. Good-night."

"Good-night," said Speed, thoughtfully. "I'll join you in a
moment."

When I was ready for bed and stood at the tent door, peering o