nly effective way in which I can
rehabilitate myself with my superiors is to hand back those diamonds to
the custody of the Foreign Office. No matter how the panic-stricken
sovereign in Yildiz Kiosk may sacrifice his servants to gain his own
ends, I, at least, have a higher motive. It rests with me to prove that
the British Government is not to be humbugged by Paris thieves or
Turkish agitators. If I fail in that duty there remains to me the
personal motive of revenge!

"No, Edith; it is useless to argue with me," for his sister had risen
and placed her arms lovingly round his neck in the effort to calm him.
"My mind is made up. I suppose Mr. Brett feels that his inquiry is
ended. For me it has just commenced."

The young man's justifiable rage created a sensation which was promptly
allayed by Brett's cool voice.

"May I ask," he said, "what reason you have to suppose that I should so
readily throw up the sponge and leave Monsieur Henri Dubois the victor
in this contest?"

"Do you mean," cried Talbot, starting to his feet, "that you will stand
by me?"

"Stand by you!" echoed the barrister, himself yielding for an instant to
the electrical condition of things. "Of course I will. We will recover
those diamonds and bring them back with us to London if we have to take
them out of the Sultan's palace itself!"

"And now, Lord Fairholme," he added, before Talbot could do other than
grasp his hand and shake it impulsively, "we want your friend's yacht.
We will set out for Palermo at the first possible moment. We must reach
there many hours, perhaps a whole day, before Dubois, who is on a
sailing vessel, and even with the start he has obtained cannot hope to
equal the performance of a fast steamer. Let Gros Jean and his Turks
travel overland. We will beat them, too. Come, now, no more talk, but
action. You, Fairholme, go ahead and prepare Daubeney. I will see to
your luggage being packed. Talbot and I will join you in half an hour."

"Eh! what is that?" broke in Sir Hubert. "Fairholme, Talbot, you--what
are Edith and I going to do?"

"Mr. Brett, of course," said Edith, in her steady, even tones, "did not
trouble to include us, uncle, because we shall be on the yacht first. A
woman can always pack up much better than a man, you know, and I will
look after you, dear."

Brett gave one glance at her flushed and smiling face, and forthwith
abandoned argument as useless.

An hour later the _Blue-Bell_ was skimming merrily