coast, near Brande's residence. Here we found a
steam yacht of about a thousand tons lying in the harbour with steam up.

The vessel was a beautiful model. Her lines promised great speed, but
the comfort of her passengers had been no less considered by her builder
when he gave her so much beam and so high a freeboard. The ship's
furniture was the finest I had ever seen, and I had crossed every great
ocean in the world. The library, especially, was more suggestive of a
room in the British Museum than the batch of books usually carried at
sea. But I have no mind to enter on a detailed description of a
beautiful pleasure ship while my story waits. I only mention the general
condition of the vessel in evidence of the fact which now struck me for
the first time--Brande must have unlimited money. His mode of life in
London and in the country, notwithstanding his pleasant house, was in
the simplest style. From the moment we entered his special train at
Charing Cross, he flung money about him with wanton recklessness.

As we made our way through the crowd which was hanging about the quay,
an unpleasant incident occurred. Miss Brande, with Halley and
Rockingham, became separated from Miss Metford and myself and went on in
front of us. We five had formed a sub-section of the main body, and were
keeping to ourselves when the unavoidable separation took place. A
slight scream in front caused Miss Metford and myself to hurry forward.
We found the others surrounded by a gang of drunken sailors, who had
stopped them. A red-bearded giant, frenzied with drink, had seized
Natalie in his arms. His abettor, a swarthy Italian, had drawn his
knife, and menaced Halley and Rockingham. The rest of the band looked
on, and cheered their chiefs. Halley was white to the lips; Rockingham
was perfectly calm, or, perhaps, indifferent. He called for a policeman.
Neither interfered. I did not blame Rockingham; he was a man of the
world, so nothing manly could be expected of him. But Halley's cowardice
disgusted me.

I rushed forward and caught the Italian from behind, for his knife was
dangerous. Seizing him by the collar and waist, I swung him twice, and
then flung him from me with all my strength. He spun round two or three
times, and then collided with a stack of timber. His head struck a beam,
and he fell in his tracks without a word. The red-haired giant instantly
released Natalie and put up his hands. The man's attitude showed that he
knew noth