od lady went on to
explain.

'A drrroite--conversion!' roared the parrot in a terrific voice of
command.

Angela jumped in her chair, for it was the first time she had heard
the creature speak in that tone; but Madame Bernard laughed, as if it
pleased her.

'It is absolutely my poor husband's tone,' she said calmly. 'Coco,'
she said, turning to the bellicose bird, 'the Prussians are there!'

'Feu!' yelled the parrot suddenly, dancing with rage on his bar. 'Feu!
'cre nom d'un nom d'un p'tit bon Dieu!'

'Every intonation!' laughed the little Frenchwoman gaily. 'You
understand why I love my Coco!'

But Angela thought there was something grimly horrible in the coming
back of the dead soldier's voice from battles fought long ago.

Giovanni came to see her two days after she had moved, but this time
Madame Bernard did not leave them together very long. She had a lively
sense of her responsibility, now that the young girl was altogether in
her charge, and she felt that the proprieties must be strictly
observed. It must never be thought that Giovanni was free to see
Angela alone whenever he pleased, merely because her people had turned
her out.

He looked distressed, and the young girl at once suspected some new
trouble; and she was not mistaken, for her advice had begun to bear
fruit already, and the inevitable was closing in upon them both.

He told the story in a few words. It had been decided in the War
Office for some time that a small exploring and surveying expedition
should be sent up the country from the Italian colony at Massowah with
the idea of planning some permanent means of inland communication with
the British possessions. Giovanni's father had seen a chance for him
to distinguish himself and to obtain more rapid promotion, and by
using all the considerable influence he possessed in high quarters he
had got him appointed to be the engineering officer of the party. The
young man had already been two years in Africa, before being appointed
to the Staff, and had done exceptionally good service, which was an
excellent reason for using him again; and chance further favoured the
plan, because the officer who had first been selected for the place,
and who was an older man, was much needed in the War Office, to his
own exceeding disgust. The expedition might be attended with
considerable danger and would certainly be full of adventure, for
there had recently been trouble with the tribes in that very region;