go
to the island on her second voyage and was unloaded in a few hours.
Captain Wilson received from the Queen the lists she had prepared of
tools, engines and material for carrying out her schemes of
improvement. He was given a few letters by Donovan and by Smith. Then
there was no reason why he should not start.

Nor was there any reason why Gorman should not have gone with him. It
was, indeed, plainly Gorman's duty to get back to England as quickly
as possible. His mission had completely failed. The Queen would not
sell the island. She would certainly not marry Konrad Karl. Ireland
was at the moment passing through a crisis, and Gorman, as one of her
statesmen, ought to have been at hand with advice. But Gorman--he owes
a good deal of his attractiveness to this--never allows himself to be
hampered by words like "ought" and "duty."

An Irish crisis is an interesting thing; but it is by no means
uncommon, and the details are always more or less the same. The
affairs of Salissa had certain novel features which were exceedingly
attractive and Gorman had never before had an opportunity of mixing
himself up in foreign politics. English statesmen, especially
Liberals, who regard Ireland with serious intensity of feeling, offer
great opportunities to men of Gorman's temperament. But he thought
that still more amusement might be obtained by playing politics with
people like Steinwitz, von Moll, and the immensely pompous Emperor.

Donovan was anxious that Gorman should stay on the island. He
listened, reluctantly, to all the Queen had to tell him. He heard
about the cisterns in the cave. He was told of von Moll's mysterious
activities, of Smith's suspicious conduct, of the Emperor's fixed
determination to get the island back for Konrad Karl. He professed to
regard the whole business as a bore.

"Buried treasure, pirate hoards and other mysteries," he said, "have
no kind of attraction for me. I feel sort of discouraged when they
bubble up round me. You're young, Daisy, and naturally inclined to
romantic joys. Just you butt in and worry round according to your own
fancy. There's only one thing I'd rather you didn't do. Don't get
interfering in any serious way with Smith. Smith's a valuable man."

Later on he spoke to Gorman.

"As a public man," he said, "your time has got value. You're wanted,
Gorman, and that's a fact. The cause of Ireland is a sacred trust and
I'm not speaking against it; but if a subscription to the par