an
says he felt very uncomfortable, but I am sure he did not show it.

"I scarcely know the girl," said Gorman. "What did old Donovan want
with you?"

"Wanted to charter a steamer, captain, crew and all, one of our boats.
Said he was going for a cruise off the coast of Megalia and wanted a
biggish ship and officers who know the Cyrenian Sea thoroughly."

"Odd fancies the Americans have," said Gorman. "However, he can pay
for what he wants. If half what they say about him is true, he could
buy up your whole fleet without missing the money."

"He certainly did not boggle over the figure I named."

"Oh, you let him have the ship then?"

"Certainly. Trade is dull in those parts now. As a matter of fact the
_Ida_ was lying up."

Gorman pretended to yawn by way of showing how very little interest he
took in the matter.

"Hope he'll enjoy the trip," he said. "Doesn't sound an attractive
country by your account."

"Well," said Steinwitz, "there are some interesting things to see.
There's the Island of Salissa, for instance."

Gorman was startled by the mention of Salissa. He may possibly have
shown his surprise. Steinwitz went on:

"By the way, talking of Salissa, Goldsturmer told me a curious thing
the other day. You know Goldsturmer, don't you?"

"The jewel man?"

"Yes. He says your friend Donovan has bought the island of Salissa
from that picturesque blackguard King Konrad Karl. I wonder if that
can be true. Goldsturmer says he has it on the best authority."

"Those 'best authorities'," said Gorman, "are invariably liars. I have
known scores of them."

"I daresay you're right," said Steinwitz; "anyhow, in this case the
authority wasn't one that I should care to rely on. It was Madame
Ypsilante--a very charming lady, but----"

He shrugged his shoulders.

"I wouldn't care to bet my last shilling," said Gorman, "on the truth
of a statement made by Madame Ypsilante."

"In this case," said Steinwitz, "her story was a ridiculous one,
absurd on the face of it. She said that the American girl wants to set
up as a monarch and that Konrad Karl had sold her the right to call
herself Queen of Salissa."

"Either Goldsturmer was pulling your leg," said Gorman, "or Madame
was pulling his. Was she trying to get anything out of him?"

"Pearls," said Steinwitz. "There is a certain rope of pearls----"

"That accounts for the whole thing," said Gorman.

Steinwitz seemed quite satisfied that it did. But he was not in