w of the woman is that she has travelled pretty well over the world;
that some six or eight months ago she was in Ceylon with a--er--a
certain member of her crew, and came within an ace of falling foul of
the law. She had put up a plan to loot the depository of the Pearl
Fisheries Company at a period when there were thousands of pounds worth
of gems awaiting transport. With her usual luck she slipped out of the
net and left the country before she could be arrested. But she will have
found something there that will repay her for the visit in one way or
another. Luck of that kind seems to follow her always."

And a long time afterward he had reason to remember what he said. For
the present, however, he had banished from his mind all things but the
happiness which was his to-day; and gave himself up to that happiness
with his whole heart.

Not once did he again intrude anything that had to do with himself, his
exploits, or his future upon Ailsa's attention until all the voyage
across the channel and all the journey from Dover up to London had come
to an end; and even then, eager though he was to know how matters might
shape themselves for _her_ future--he was tactful, considerate, careful
not to force her into any embarrassing position or to claim from her
more than the merest acquaintance might.

"You are going to your friend at Hampstead, I suppose," he said as he
handed her into a taxicab at Charing Cross. "I shall like to know if you
succeed in getting the position with Lady Chepstow; and if you send no
word to Mr. Narkom, I shall take silence as an assent and know that you
have."

And afterward, when the days grew in number and late April merged into
early May and no word came, he knew that she had succeeded; and was
comforted, thinking of her safely housed and perhaps in a position more
congenial than the last. At any rate, she was in England, she was again
in the same land with him; and that of itself was comfort.

But other comforts were not wanting. The full glory of tulip time was
here; The Yard had no immediate occasion for his services, and time was
his to dawdle in the public parks among the children, the birds, and the
flowers.

"And, lord, how he do love 'em all, bless his heart!" commented Dollops
in confidence to himself as he bustled about, putting the Den in order,
watering the plants and touching lovingly the things that belonged to
the master he adored--his daily task when Cleek was in the Park a