g which does not tell much about the wearer."

"True, true," returned the Frenchman; "and, after all, even if the
girl's features had not been negro-like, you could not have been sure
that it was her, for some of the blacks who come from the interior of
Africa have features quite as classical as our own."

"Laronde," said the merchant impressively, "I wonder to hear you, who
have a daughter of your own, suggest that I could fail to recognise my
Hester in any disguise. Why, if she were to paint her face scarlet and
her nose pea-green I'd see through it by the beautiful shape of the
features and the sweet expression of her face."

"Forgive me, Monsieur Sommers, I doubt not that you would. As to your
reference to _my_ daughter, you forget that she was a little child when
I last saw her, so I have no experience of a father's powers of
penetrating disguises."

Laronde sighed deeply at this point, and then hurriedly continued, as if
to prevent further reference to his own sorrows.

"It is possible, however," he said, "that she may pass you again
to-morrow, and so give you another opportunity of seeing her features.
But let me ask, my friend, what will you do if you discover that she
_is_ your Hester?"

"Do?" exclaimed the merchant, with an energetic action that caused his
fetters to rattle. "I--I--I'll--well--I don't know what I'll do!"

"Of course you don't!" returned Laronde, with something of the old
cynicism in his tone. "You Englishmen are always so cock-sure--as you
express it--of success that you make no provision for defeat or failure.
It may seem very heroic, but it is mere pride and folly. Now, if you
will take a real friend's advice, you will go out to-morrow with the
determination to curb yourself and refrain from taking any notice
whatever of this girl, whether she turns out to be your daughter or not,
and leave her to work out her plan, for you may be quite sure she has
some end in view. Just consider what would be the consequence of your
giving way to your feelings and embracing her. You would by so doing
expose her disguise, cause her to be taken up and sent to the harem of
some one of the notables, and get heavier irons put on yourself, besides
another touch, perhaps, of the bastinado. Be wise, and consider well
what you intend to do."

"Thank you, friend, for your warning. It is well timed. If you had not
spoken I would certainly have gone forth to-morrow unprepared."

"But what is your p