to make enough money to be able to ask you to marry me.
And now I have gone out of the business and asked you just when I
shouldn't."

"Yes, so you see you might as well have done it a year or two ago when
perhaps things would have been simpler. Well, it is a fine example of
the vanity of human plans, and, Alan, we must be going home to lunch. If
we don't, Sir Robert will be organizing a search party to look for us;
in fact, I shouldn't wonder if he is doing that already, in the wrong
direction."

The mention of Sir Robert Aylward's name fell on them both like a blast
of cold wind in summer, and for a while they walked in silence.

"You are afraid of that man, Barbara," said Alan presently, guessing her
thoughts.

"A little," she answered, "so far as I can be afraid of anything any
more. And you?"

"A little also. I think that he will give us trouble. He can be very
malevolent and resourceful."

"Resourceful, Alan; well, so can I. I'll back my wits against his any
day. He shan't separate us by anything short of murder, which he won't
go in for. Men like that don't like to break the law; they have too much
to lose. But no doubt he will make things uncomfortable for you, if he
can, for several reasons."

Again they walked on lost in reflections, when Barbara suddenly saw her
lover's face brighten.

"What is it, Alan?" she asked.

"Something that is rare enough with me, Barbara--an idea. You remember
speaking about that Asiki gold just now. Well, why shouldn't I go and
get it?"

She stared at him.

"It sounds a little speculative," she said; "something like one of my
uncle's companies."

"Not half so speculative as you think. I have no doubt it is there and
Jeekie knows the way. Also I seem to remember that there is a map and an
account of the whole thing in Uncle Austin's diaries, though to tell you
the truth the old fellow wrote such a fearful hand, that I have never
taken the trouble to read it. You see," he went on with enthusiasm, "it
is the kind of business that I can do. I am thoroughly salted to fever,
I know the West Coast, where I spent three years on that Boundary
Commission, I have studied the natives and can talk several of their
dialects. Of course there would be a risk, but there are risks in
everything, and like you I am not afraid about that, for I believe that
we have got our lives before us."

"Read up those diaries, Alan, and we will talk the thing over again.
I'll pump Jeekie, who w