ll notice you. You have a revolver?"

"Yes."

"All right. Don't hurt anyone if you can help it; but if you do, don't
leave him to linger in agony. Now I'm off," I continued. "I suppose
I'd better not come and see you again?"

"I'm afraid you mustn't, Jack. You've been here two hours already."

"I shall be in my rooms in the afternoon. If anything goes wrong, send
your carriage down the street and have it stopped at the grocer's. I
shall take that for a sign."

The signorina agreed, and we parted tenderly. My last words were:

"You'll send that message to Whittingham at once?"

"This moment," she said, as she waved me a kiss from the door of the
room.

CHAPTER XIII.

I WORK UPON HUMAN NATURE.

I was evidently in for another day as unpleasantly exciting as the one
I had spent before the revolution, and I reflected sadly that if a man
once goes in for things of that kind, it's none so easy to pull up.
Luckily, however, I had several things to occupy me, and was not left
to fret the day away in idleness. First I turned my steps to the
harbor. As I went I examined my pockets and found a sum total of $950.
This was my all, for of late I had deemed it wise to carry my fortune
on my person. Well, this was enough for the present; the future must
take care of itself. So I thought to myself as I went along with a
light heart, my triumph in love easily outweighing all the troubles
and dangers that beset me. Only land me safe out of Aureataland with
the signorina by my side, and I asked nothing more of fortune! Let the
dead bury their dead, and the bank look after its dollars!

Thus musing, I came to the boat-house where my launch lay. She was a
tidy little boat, and had the advantage of being workable by one man
without any difficulty. All I had to arrange was how to embark in her
unperceived. I summoned the boatman in charge, and questioned him
closely about the probable state of the weather. He confidently
assured me it would be fine but dark.

"Very well," said I, "I shall go fishing; start overnight, and have a
shy at them at sunrise."

The man was rather astonished at my unwonted energy, but of course
made no objection.

"What time shall you start, sir?" he asked.

"I want her ready by two," said I.

"Do you want me to go with you, sir?"

I pretended to consider, and then told him, to his obvious relief,
that I could dispense with his services.

"Leave her at the end of your jetty," I said, "rea