er in life; a man who knows the power of money! For, gold is
irresistible!" Her bright face hardened.

"My duties are, then, not to be of a tender nature," lightly hazarded
Hawke.

"I can soon judge of your value by your adroitness, and you can make
your own record!" smiled the strange woman waif. "Let me see how
you would do this! I do not care to personally approach Mademoiselle
Euphrosyne Delande, I would have a picture of the woman whom I seek--the
lonely child whom I have hungered for long years to see! I do not care
to expose myself here--"

"The Preceptress might telegraph out to India and the girl be spirited
away!" broke in Alan Hawke.

"Very good! Precisely so!" said Berthe Louison, gravely. "I will tell
you now that I have played perfectly fair with Anstruther! I have
enabled him to assure himself of Nadine Johnstone's regular standing
as the legal and only heiress of the would-be Baronet! I do not fear
Anstruther! He is a gallant boy, worthy to wear a sword, and, he does
not work for hire! He tells me that Euphrosyne Delande showed him the
last pictures of the girl which were sent on before Hugh Fraser suddenly
telegraphed to have his child 'personally conducted' on carte blanche
terms out to join him."

Major Hawke buried his head in his hands and slowly said: "I can do it
easily! We must not be seen together here! Go up to the Hotel Faucon, at
Lausanne, and wait for me there for three days. I have to remain here at
any rate to collect Anstruther's check in London. I have in my favor all
the facts of Anstruther's story. I happen also to have Anstruther's
P. P. C. card. I will bring you the picture you want, or a half dozen
copies. Will you trust to me? I make no professions!"

"That is right!" sternly said Berthe Louison. "Let our casual
association be one of a mere money interest. We can find each other
out easily. You have no motive to injure me, your own interest now and
always lies the other way. I only wish to have some one at hand when I
am ready to face the embryo Sir Hugh Johnstone!"

"You are bold!" slowly said Alan Hawke. "If I should denounce you to
Johnstone, himself! If he should be warned--"

"I hold him and his long cherished dream, the Baronetcy, in my hand,"
the brown-eyed beauty frankly cried. "I should not burn my ships in
Europe! Even if I were to be betrayed, the purpose of my life will be
carried out. I should leave here behind me the safest of anchors in
other well-paid agen