ht grew brighter every moment. Phillips
recognized the waiting man--Stephanos the elder. His long white beard
and stately figure were not easily mistaken. The boat grounded and
Stephanos stepped on board. Smith pushed off, and rowing rapidly now,
coasted the shore of the bay, keeping close inland. The boat was hard
to see, for she moved in the shadow of the cliffs. Suddenly she
disappeared altogether. Phillips waited and watched. In half an hour
the boat appeared again, plainly visible now. She came from the mouth
of a great cave, a darker space in the grey face of the cliff. Smith
pulled hard. In a few minutes he had landed Stephanos and was on his
way back to the steamer.

Phillips met him as he climbed the side and came on board.

"You're out early this morning, Smith," he said.

"Yes, sir, pretty early, sir. There's a lot to be done in the day. I
thought as how, if I went ashore, sir, I might get a couple of eggs
for Mr. Donovan's breakfast. He likes a fresh egg."

"Seagulls' eggs," said Phillips.

Smith looked up quickly. For an instant there was a sharp gleam of
suspicion in his eyes. Then he dropped them again.

"No, sir; hens' eggs. There's hens on the island, sir."

"Got any?" said Phillips.

"Two, sir, only two."

He took them from his pocket as he spoke and held them out for
inspection. He had certainly got two eggs. Phillips was puzzled. Men
seldom search for hens' eggs--they never find them--in sea caves.

"Just enough for Mr. Donovan's breakfast, sir."

"Do you happen to know, Smith"--Phillips asked his question
abruptly--"whether any one has been living in the palace lately? Last
year, for instance, or at any time since the last king was murdered
there?"

"Murdered, sir, how horrible! Was it long ago, sir?"

The assassination of King Otto had been mentioned, even discussed, a
dozen times while Smith was waiting at table. Very good servants--and
Smith was one of the best--are able, it is believed, to abstract their
minds from the conversation of their masters, will actually hear
nothing of what is said in their presence. Yet it seemed to Phillips
as if Smith were overdoing his pose of ignorance.

"It was years ago, I believe. What I want to know is whether any one
has been living in the palace since."

"Don't know, sir, I'm sure. Never been here before till I arrived with
you, sir. Would you care for me to make inquiries? Some of the natives
would be sure to know."

"Ask that patriarch