empter; but, homesick for
England and wretched in the miserable life he was leading, he had in
reckless humour yielded, hating himself while doing so even more than
the sardonic prince who was sending him home to England to commit such
an outrage on an Englishwoman. After all, he had told himself, he didn't
know the girl. Very likely she had brought her fate on herself by
flirting with Bhagwan Singh in London. So he pledged himself to the foul
errand, and sailed by the next mail-boat with a letter of introduction
to Travers Nugent.

On his presenting it, Nugent had apprised him of the progress already
made in the plot, and it was by no means inconsiderable. The Manor House
at Ottermouth being to let furnished for the summer, it had not been
difficult for the Maharajah's astute agent, who had a cottage in the
little resort, to persuade Mr. Montague Maynard to take it. Indeed, the
prospect of having the brilliant Travers Nugent as a neighbour during
his holiday was in itself sufficient inducement to the wealthy screw
manufacturer to fall into the trap. All that remained for the present
was for Chermside to go down and commence operations by laying siege to
Violet Maynard's heart, Nugent promising to follow later, when he had
perfected the arrangements for manning and victualling the swift turbine
steamer he had chartered.

In sullen mood, and with rage in his heart against the cruel fate that
had made a blackguard of him, Chermside had set out on his despicable
mission. And from the very moment he had looked into Violet Maynard's
pure eyes his purpose had begun to weaken, giving place to a greater
horror of himself and the vile thing he had consented to do. If, in the
depths of his misery out yonder, he had considered the matter at all, he
had considered it in the shadowy abstract, as a means of escape from the
hell-upon-earth exile he was enduring. But here in England, and in touch
with the charming personality of his intended victim, the scales were
lifted from his moral vision, and he was left face to face with the
enormity of his contemplated offence.

Yet his honour, if the word could be used in such a connexion, "rooted
in dishonour stood," for he had pledged himself for what he believed to
be valuable consideration to go through with the iniquity. For the first
few days of his stay in Ottermouth he adhered rigidly to his contract.
He presented the letters of introduction with which Travers Nugent had
furnished h