elf in the
music-room, where Feodorovna and I were sitting, and called Mlle.
Sziszkinski out of the room. Suspecting nothing, the poor girl at once
went, and a few minutes later he returned, alone, and, presenting a
revolver at my head, ordered me to follow him, warning me at the same
time that if I raised the slightest outcry of any kind, he would shoot
me dead."

"The scoundrel! The consummate blackguard!" ejaculated Sir Reginald
through his set teeth. "Yes, dear; go on. I am listening," he added.

"Of course I went; for there was nothing else to do," continued Lady
Olivia. "And he looked so fierce, so determined, in such deadly
earnest, that I felt sure he would carry out his threat if I disobeyed
him. He led me up to the pilot-house; and there I found poor little
Ida--whom I had believed to be out on deck, playing or reading--bound
hand and foot, with a gag in her mouth."

Sir Reginald drew in his breath sharply, but said nothing.

"The moment that I entered the pilot-house he closed the door, and
placing his back against it, pointed to Ida, saying, `You see, ma'am,
there is your child; and if you will look closely at her you will see
that I have lashed her up so tightly that, if she could speak, she would
tell you that she is mighty uncomfortable!' And indeed, I could see
that the brute was only speaking the truth--much less than the truth, in
fact, for it was clear that the poor darling was suffering torment. Oh,
Reggie, I tried to get to her to release her, but that brute raised his
pistol and pointed it at her, saying, `If you offer to touch her, I'll
blow her brains out! If you want to gain her release, tell me what you
know about the working of this ship, and as soon as we are outside the
reef you may release the child.'

"What could I do, Reggie? I simply could _not_ stand there and see my
darling suffering, so I asked him what he wanted to know. He said that
the first thing he wished to know was how to raise the anchor, and I
showed him. Then he asked how the engines were worked, and I showed him
that, taking care, however, only to show him how they worked at their
lowest speed. He kept me there with him until the ship had passed
through the passage in the reef, and then he told me that I might take
my `brat' and go. I needed no second bidding, you may be sure, but
snatched up the poor little thing and took her straight down into her
own cabin, where--excepting for the few moments necessar