the throng. The air was full of soft, gay music, and the skirts
and flounces of the women brushed against him at every step. Laughter
and excitement were the order of the day. Trent, with his suddenly
pallid face and unseeing eyes, seemed a little out of place in such a
scene of pleasure. Francis, who was smoking a cigar, looked up as he
approached and made room for him upon the seat.

"I did not expect to see you in England quite so soon, Captain Francis,"
Trent said.

"I did not expect," Francis answered, "ever to be in England again. I am
told that my recovery was a miracle. I am also told that I owe my Life
to you!"

Trent shrugged his shoulders.

"I would have done as much for any of my people," he said, "and you
don't owe me any thanks. To be frank with you, I hoped you'd die."

"You could easily have made sure of it," Francis answered.

"It wasn't my way," Trent answered shortly. "Now what do you want with
me?"

Francis turned towards him with a curious mixture of expressions in his
face.

"Look here," he said, "I want to believe in you! You saved my life and
I'm not over-anxious to do you a mischief. But you must tell me what you
have done with Vill--Monty."

"Don't you know where he is?" Trent asked quickly.

"I? Certainly not! How should I?"

"Perhaps not," Trent said, "but here's the truth. When I got back to
Attra Monty had disappeared--ran away to England, and as yet I've heard
never a word of him. I'd meant to do the square thing by him and bring
him back myself. Instead of that he gave us all the slip, but unless
he's a lot different to what he was last time I saw him, he's not fit to
be about alone."

"I heard that he had left," Francis said, "from Mr. Walsh."

"He either came quite alone," Trent said, "in which case it is odd that
nothing has been heard of him, or Da Souza has got hold of him."

"Oom Sam's brother?"

Trent nodded.

"And his interest?" Francis asked.

"Well, he is a large shareholder in the Company," Trent said. "Of course
he could upset us all if he liked. I should say that Da Souza would try
all he could to keep him in the background until he had disposed of his
shares."

"And how does your stock hold?"

"I don't know," Trent said. "I only landed yesterday. I'm pretty certain
though that there's no market for the whole of Da Souza's holding."

"He has a large interest, then?"

"A very large one," Trent answered drily.

"I should like," Francis said, "to un