ad the excuse of rough weather to
keep away from the dining-saloon. Miss Mallory favored every chance for
a talk with Bedient, and once or twice he caught her regarding him with
a strange, half-humorous depth of glance. One evening, as the ship was
passing the northern coast of Porto Rico, they met on the promenade.
The Island was a heavy shadow, off in the moon-bright South.

"... They say, Mr. Bedient, that if the revolution succeeds, it will
make a great difference to you."

"Perhaps it may," he replied.

Miss Mallory had heard from the ship's officers, something of his
relations with Captain Carreras. He laughingly deprecated his adequacy
as a money-master.

"That's quite extraordinary," she said thoughtfully. "New York has not
taught me to expect such from a man. Then the American dollar is not
the sign of the Holy of Holies--to you?"

... Her talk was blithe. Presently she chaffed him for absences from
the saloon during the rough weather.

"And you are such an old sailor, too," she finished.

"But my sailing was largely--sailing," he said. "It's different under
steam."

"But we have been nearly three days in a turquoise calm, and I have
watched you. A goldfinch would pine away on the nourishment you have
taken! How do you manage to live?"

"You see how well I am," he said.

"You're not nearly----" Miss Mallory checked herself, and swallowed
several times, before venturing again: "Do you know what I thought?"

"No."

"That you were in the clutch of mortal fear, lest you lose your fortune
in the fighting."

"That _was_ a bit wide, Miss Mallory----"

"In reparation for that injustice, I am going to tell you--what takes
me to Coral City. I haven't told anyone else.... It's the prospect of a
war. I've always wanted a revolution. You can never know how much....
You see, I'm an every-day working woman, a newspaper woman, but out of
routine work. Some big things have fallen to me, but never war.
Equatoria, the name and everything about it, has enchanted me for
years----"

Bedient liked her enthusiasm. He explained much about the Island,
Jaffier, Celestino Rey, _The Pleiad_, and the manner of men who
frequented this remarkable palace. He advised Miss Mallory not to be
known as a newspaper woman, if she expected a welcome at _The Pleiad_.

The _Hatteras_ finally made the coral passage, and was steaming into
the inner harbor. Miss Mallory left Captain Bloom, who was pointing out
the line of reefs, to j