rmining his choice.

At last they reached the south side, and here they at once found
themselves in a delightfully secluded and tiny bay, sandy, tree-lined,
sheltered on three sides by cliffs and rocks.

"Oh," cried Iris, excitedly, "what a lovely spot! a perfect Smugglers'
Cove."

"Charming enough to look at," was the answering comment, "but open to
the sea. If you look at the smooth riband of water out there, you will
perceive a passage through the reef. A great place for sharks, Miss
Deane, but no place for bathers."

"Good gracious! I had forgotten the sharks. I suppose they must live,
horrid as they are, but I don't want them to dine on me."

The mention of such disagreeable adjuncts to life on the island no
longer terrified her. Thus do English new-comers to India pass the first
three months' residence in the country in momentary terror of snakes,
and the remaining thirty years in complete forgetfulness of them.

They passed on. Whilst traversing the coral-strewn south beach, with
its patches of white soft sand baking in the direct rays of the sun,
Jenks perceived traces of the turtle which swarmed in the neighboring
sea.

"Delicious eggs and turtle soup!" he announced when Iris asked him why
he was so intently studying certain marks on the sand, caused by the
great sea-tortoise during their nocturnal visits to the
breeding-ground.

"If they are green turtle," he continued, "we are in the lap of luxury.
They lard the alderman and inspire the poet. When a ship comes to our
assistance I will persuade the captain to freight the vessel with them
and make my fortune."

"I suppose, under the circumstances, you were not a rich man, Mr.
Jenks," said Iris, timidly.

"I possess a wealthy bachelor uncle, who made me his heir and allowed
me four hundred a year; so I was a sort of Croesus among Staff Corps
officers. When the smash came he disowned me by cable. By selling my
ponies and my other belongings I was able to walk out of my quarters
penniless but free from debt."

"And all through a deceitful woman!"

"Yes."

Iris peeped at him from under the brim of her sou'wester. He seemed to
be absurdly contented, so different was his tone in discussing a
necessarily painful topic to the attitude he adopted during the attack
on the pitcher-plant.

She was puzzled, but ventured a further step.

"Was she very bad to you, Mr. Jenks?"

He stopped and laughed--actually roared at the suggestion.

"Bad to me!" he