was
a fortune on Nevis outside of Bath House. They finally decided to
marry at once that he might show her the other islands before the
hurricane season began.

In spite of loitering Anne arrived at the hotel quite two hours before
luncheon, and after divesting herself of a frock that would send Mrs.
Nunn into hysterics if her news did not, she went to her aunt's room.

Mrs. Nunn, fresh from her sulphur bath, was reclining on a sofa in her
large cool room, where the jalousies were half closed, and dawdling
over _Godey's Lady's Book_, a fashion magazine printed in the United
States, which found great favour in her eyes.

"My dear Anne," she said languidly, "I suppose you breakfasted with
Miss Ogilvy. La! La! You are more burnt than ever. Your face is quite
red. And I would have you well bleached before the London season. Pray
sit down. It affects my nerves to see you wander about like that."

Anne took a chair facing her aunt. "I did not breakfast with Miss
Ogilvy. I have been talking to Mr. Warner all the morning."

"Heavens! what a waste of time, when you might have been talking to
Hunsdon in the morning-room. It was quite empty. Maria has Mr. Warner
in charge. I hope you have not been walking about with him. You know I
told you----"

"No one saw us. We talked up in one of the jungles."

"One of the jungles!" Mrs. Nunn sat up. "I never heard anything sound
so horrid. Do you tell me that you have the habit of sitting in
jungles--dear me--with young gentlemen! I forbid you to go out again
unattended."

"This was the first time."

"It assuredly will be the last."

"I think not. Mr. Warner has a hut in the jungle and I am going to
marry him."

"What--you----" And then as she met Anne's eyes she gave a piercing
scream, and her maid rushed in. "The sal volatile!" she gasped. "The
salts."

She fell back limp, and Anne, who was unaccustomed to the easy fainting
of fine ladies, was terrified and administered the restoratives. But
Mrs. Nunn may have been less time reviving than Anne fancied, for
when she finally opened her eyes they were very hard and her features
singularly composed.

"You may go, Claire," she said to the maid. "Return in an hour and
pack my boxes. We leave by the packet to-morrow. Now," she added,
turning to Anne, "I am prepared to talk to you. Only kindly remember,
if you have anything further of a startling nature to communicate,
that I am accustomed to less direct and brutal methods."

"