s an Englishman, and
wearing a scarlet flower in his buttonhole, take no notice of how often
you see him nor of what he may do."

"It will be you, Mr. Cleek?"

"Yes. Now go, please; and don't forget to act as if you and her ladyship
were utterly broken-hearted. Also"--his voice dropped lower, his hand
met her hand, and in the darkness of the hall a little silver-plated
revolver was slipped into her palm--"also, take this. Keep it always
with you, never be without it night or day, and if any living creature
offers you violence, shoot him down as you would a mad dog. Good-night,
and--remember!"

And long after she and Lady Chepstow had gone down and passed out into
the night he stood there, looking the situation straight in the face and
thinking his own troubled thoughts.

"A wedding bouquet! A threat against her, and the mention of a wedding
bouquet!" he said, as he went back into the room and sat down to figure
the puzzle out. "Only one creature in the world knows of my feelings in
that direction, and only one creature in the world would be capable of
that threat--Margot! But what interest could she or any of her tribe
have in the death of Lady Chepstow's little son? Her game is always
money. If she were after a ransom she would try to abduct the child, not
to kill him, and if"--A sudden thought came and wrenched away his voice.
He sat a moment twisting his fingers one through the other and frowning
at the floor; then, of a sudden, he gave a cry and jumped to his feet.
"Five lacs of rupees--a fortune! By George, I've got it!" he fairly
shouted. "The wild guess was a correct one, I'll stake my life. Let's
put it to the test."

CHAPTER XX

The summer twilight was deepening into the summer dusk when Ailsa,
acting upon Cleek's advice, set forth with his little lordship the
following evening, and turned her steps in the direction of the Park;
but although, on her way there, she observed more than once that a
swarthy-skinned man in European dress who wore a scarlet flower in his
coat, and was so perfect a type of the Asiatic that he would have passed
muster for one even among a gathering of Cingalese, kept appearing and
disappearing at irregular intervals, it spoke well for the powers of
imitation and self-effacement possessed by Dollops, that she never once
thought of associating that young man with the dawdling messenger boy
who strolled leisurely along with a package under his arm and patronised
every bun-s