aw them a few hundred yards inland keeping
guard on him.

At ten o'clock he caught sight of the topsails of a ship far east,
beyond the blue outline of the Rathlin hills. The wind, very feeble at
dawn, was freshening slightly. The lower sails of the vessel rose slowly
into view. Maurice guessed her to be a brig--to be the brig he looked
for. He lay still, watching her intently, till he was sure. Then he
went home. He found Una and the Comtesse in the breakfast room. Captain
Twinely, on the lawn outside, leaned on the window sill and talked to
them. Maurice, uncontrollably excited, whispered to Una--

"Now."

She rose, and followed him from the room. Captain Twinely eyed them
sharply. He had ceased to distrust the Comtesse, but he was keenly
suspicious of Maurice. Since he had been robbed of his clothes in Antrim
he hated Maurice nearly as bitterly as he did Neal, and was determined
to have him strictly watched.

"Pardon me, dear lady," he said, "I must give some orders to the
patrol."

"Don't be long, then," she said, "I want you to-day, Captain Twinely.
Come back to me."

Their eyes met, and the Comtesse felt certain that her victim would
return to her. She leaped from her chair the moment he left her and ran
from the room.

"Una," she cried. "Una, Maurice, where are you?"

She found them; they were packing clothes in a hand-bag--clothes, she
supposed, for Neal.

"He's gone to give orders to his men about you, Maurice. I know he has.
I haven't a moment to explain. Leave everything to me. I'll manage him,
only trust me and do what I say. Una, are you a born idiot? Take those
things out of the bag. How can you go about with that travelling-bag in
your hand and not excite suspicion? If you must have clothes wrap them
in a bathing-sheet. Oh, what a fool you are!"

She left them no time to answer her, but fled back to the
breakfast-room. A moment later Captain Twinely found her, lounging--a
figure of luxurious laziness--among the cushions of Lord Dunseveric's
easy chair.

"We are going on the sea to-day," she said, "my nephew, Maurice, has
promised to take us in a boat to the Skerries. I have never been there,
but I hear they are delightful. I hope you will come with us. Please say
yes. I should feel so much safer in a boat if you were there. My nephew
is very rash. He frightens me. I do not trust him. I shall not feel
secure or easy in my mind unless you come, too. Besides"--her voice
sank to a delicious wh