luncheon. I went for a solitary walk in the afternoon, as much to carry out the part of one with some business in the isle as for any other reason. It is true I actually did do some business in the way of accosting a few inhabitants and trying tactfully to convey a suspicious impression. None of them, however, had seemed in the least likely to belong to the gang I was after, and the sheep and wax-match conundrums had left them cold. I was the less concerned at this, since I had realised that the day was Saturday. To-morTo-morrow in church I meant to take stock of the islanders, and give them a chance of taking stock of me.

That night my thoughts ran chiefly on my host and hostess. I had learnt a few more facts about them, and these I now put together to see what picture they suggested. In the first place, the Rendalls were an ancient family in these parts, and had owned their property for some centuries. As all my prejudices ran in favour of old families, old port, and old furniture, this was so far reassuring.

On the other hand, Mr Rendall had apparently lived much abroad, but he dropped no hint as to whether he had sojourned in foreign parts for reasons of pleasure, health, or business. In fact he was close as a clam on the subject, and, indeed, on every other subject. Add to this that I had heard he was hard up, that he had no wife to look after him, and that he

evidently took a caustic rather than an enthusiastic view of life, and in my present state of mind there seemed a prima facie case for suspicion, Anyhow he was man to be watched.

As to his daughter, I had learned that her name was Jean, that she had been to school at a somewhat select seminary which I chanced to have heard of, and that she had finished her education a couple of years ago in Switzerland.

"Nothing very suspicious in all that," I thought. "Still, what is this surprising apparition doing in this out-of-theway island? 'Looking after my father,' she'd say. But why look after him here instead of some more amusing place? Perhaps because they are hard up. On the other hand, perhaps not."

Then I thought over the pair simply as one thought of any new acquaintances before war was dreamt of, and I am bound to say they came out of the ordeal very creditably. He was well-born, well-bred, and very far from a fool. She was—well, I don't mind confessing that that night I considered her charming, in spite of the pretty obvious fact that she was not at all charmed with me. Or if she was, she concealed her feelings admirably. She had a good enough exouse, either way; whether she were honest and thought me a traitor, or whether she were treacherous and thought me honest. Besides, I had not yet shaved.

better feelings were under control, and I studied this figure critically. He represented one of those four "civilised" and suspect houses. One was untenanted, two I had now visited, and the fourth I was now almost ready to discharge with a oleared character. Outwardly, at least, this sedate divine suggested nothing but the austerer virtues.

For two hours the minister prayed, the minister read, and the minister preached to us; at intervals we were allowed to sing, and abused the privilege shockingly; and all the time I studied that congrega. tion. I recognised the Scollay family-Peter elder, Peter younger, Mrs Scollay, the two rosy daughters, and even poor Jock. The three or four people I had spoken to in the afternoon were all there too. In fact I saw every one I had consciously met before in that island, with three exceptions. The doctor and O'Brien were not in church, and, narrowly though I looked, I saw no sign of the ancient with tinted spectacles and a taste for wax matches.

I very soon was made aware that there was no fear of myself going unobserved. At one time or another I caught every eye in that congregation riveted on me, and it only remained for me to give the proper impression to carry away with them.

As I was unable to see myself as others saw me, I cannot say precisely what effect I produced; but if a

habit of looking suddenly and guiltily at the floor when I caught a hard-staring eye, a conspicuous difficulty in following the order of the service and knowing what book to be picked up, and whether to kneel, sit, or stand, and a peculiarly unpleasant shake which I introduced into my top note-if all these manifestations failed to convey the impression that I was a very suspicious person indeed, well, all I can say is that they ought to have, and that that congregation must have been singularly deficient in the proper kind of imagination. Of course I could hardly expect a sympathetic signal to be actually made in church, but I did hope my performance would surely bear fruit before many hours had passed.

At last the service ended, the commons crowded out, and the laird and his daughter rose in their wake and greeted the minister on their way to the door. I noticed that they did not introduce me, and also that the Reverend Mr Mackenzie regarded me-over Miss Rendall's shoulder-with a sternly suspicious glance. Evidently he had heard ill of me already, and hope burned higher. the minister had heard dark rumours, surely the spies had! Or anyhow they would when that that congregation had all reached their homes (if they were not among the congregation themselves).

If

We passed again through many eyes in the kirkyard, and then the Rev. Mr Mackenzie and the laird walked together

for a short way, and I found myself alone with Miss Jean.

"I didn't see Dr Rendall or Mr O'Brien in church," I remarked.

"They very seldom come to church," said she.

"I gather that Mr O'Brien is visiting the doctor," I observed. "Yes," said she in a tone that promised little further information.

"Has he been staying with him long?" I persevered. "For some time."

"Old friends, I suppose." She did not seem to hear me, and I gave it up-in the meanwhile; but to myself I said complacently

"Some mystery here!" Presently I remarked"There was another face I didn't see the island patriarch."

She looked at me quickly. "The patriarch-who do you mean?"

"An old gentleman with a white beard, tinted spectacles, and overcoat somewhat the worse for wear. He hailed me on the road yesterday and asked for a matoh. I imagine he must live somewhere near the doctor's house."

She looked very thoughtful for a moment and then said—

"There is no one in the island with tinted spectacles, and nobody in the least like that living any where near Dr Rendall's." I looked at her sharply. "Are you quite sure?" She seemed to think again for a moment, and then said"Perfectly."

I had something to think about on my way home to lunch.

en

After lunch I set out by myself with pretty high hopes. It seemed to me inconceivable that men (or even one man, for the sake of argument, though I felt sure there must be more) who were lurking here on the business this gang were gaged upon would actually take no steps one way or the other to deal with a stranger who knew of their existence, and who to all seeming was one of their own kidney. I flattered myself by this time that every report they could have heard and every observation they might have made must inoline them to the view that it was their duty to get in

touch with me again. And now I proposed to take solitary ramble along the very shore where I had stumbled upon my oilskinned friend and give them a chance of getting in touch.

It was an afternoon of sunshine and gleaming seas. At first the air was redolent of olover, and then-as I drew near the shore-of sea-ware. On this day of rest there was hardly any one to be seen about, so that a quiet meeting by the beach could be simply arranged. Only a meeting implies two, and though I walked right along the coast till I got within a stone's-throw of the Scollays'

farm, I remained as solitary as when I started.

I turned back, and slowly retraced my steps for a mile or so, my hopes fading and my perplexity increasing.

"What ought I to have done that I haven't done?" I asked myself. "And what have I done that I oughtn't to?"

а

I paused and sat down on the crisp sea turf with rough stone wall to landward, and below me the shelving rocks and the glassy ocean; and it was then the idea struck me that I might do something to attract attention to my presence. A thoughtful aunt had presented me with a revolver when I got my commission, and as anything to do with hitting things, from oricket-balls to pheasants, has always amused me, I used to carry it in my hip-pooket regardless of chaff (one happily inspired inspired wag dubbed me "Jolly Roger"). I took it out now, descended to the beach, set up a stone as a mark, and proceeded to combine business with pleasure by doing a little fancy shooting. The thing made just enough noise to attract anybody fairly near at hand without scandalising the inbabitants, and as I chanced to be in good form, I quite enjoyed myself.

I had just brought off a pretty sequence of snapshots, and was thinking regretfully that in one of the happy lands which still encouraged the duel I should be a much more respected member of

society, when I suddenly realised that I had a spectator of my prowess. He was standing on the turf above me, a little indistinot owing to the wall at his back, and for an instant my heart leapt, and I thought I had met the friend I was seeking at last. And then I saw that it was only poor Jook,

He

I waved to him, and he came scrambling down to the beach, his mouth wide open 88 usual and wreathed in smiles. As he approached,_a wild thought struck me. was bearded, thick-set, and of medium height. Wrap him in an oilskin, and there you were! I mention all my inspirations to show that I really did cover the ground pretty thoroughly in that island. It is true that the conduct of my oilskinned acquaintance was scarcely that of a congenital idiot; still, I was resolved to leave no stone unturned.

"Shoots, shoots!" he babbled in his ourious thick voice, "Jock heard shoots!"

I looked at him fixedly, and in a serious voice and a German accent you could have out with a knife replied

"I vant to know zomezing about sheeps, Herr Jock, not about shoots. How many sheeps are zere in zis island, eh?"

Did I see a gleam of intelligence for an instant in Jook's eye? I cannot honestly say. I only know that he looked not unnaturally surprised, and then thickly answered what sounded like “A hundred and six." Anyhow, it was nothing