er watch. It was almost time for luncheon. She pointed
out their hotel.

"Come, darling; we can talk more easily indoors. We have a charming
private sitting-room, overlooking the sea."

He turned at once; but as they entered the hotel gardens he said
suddenly: "Did I talk of a Upas tree, while I was off my head?"

"Yes, Ronnie, constantly. In fact you thought you _were_ a Upas tree!"

"I _knew_ I was a Upas tree," said Ronnie.

"Why?"

"Because my wife told me so, the evening I came home. How do you spell
'Upas'?"

"U, P, A, S. Oh, Ronnie, what do you mean?"

He paused, and shading his eyes, looked away over the sunny sea to where
the vessels, from the Hook of Holland, come into port.

"Just that," he said. "Exactly that. Utterly, preposterously,
altogether, selfish. That is the Upas tree."

"Oh, Ronnie," she cried, "if you knew--"

But Ronnie had seen a bowler hat behind the hedge. He called its wearer
forward.

"Mrs. West tells me you are my valet," he said. "Kindly show me to my
room."

CHAPTER XVI

"HE _MUST_ REMEMBER"

Dick arrived very early the next morning, having to be off again by the
twelve o'clock train, in order to reach that evening the place where he
was due to spend Christmas.

A telegram from Helen had prepared him for a change in Ronnie, but
hardly for the complete restoration of mental balance which he saw in
his friend, as they hailed one another at the railway station.

Ronnie had breakfasted early, in order to meet Dick's train. He had said
nothing of his plan to Helen, merely arranging his breakfast-hour
overnight with the "valet."

He walked to the station alone; but, arrived there, found the "valet" on
the platform.

"Thought I might be wanted, sir, to carry the doctor's bag," he
explained, touching his hat. But, just as the train rounded the bend, he
remarked: "Better stand back a little, sir," and took Ronnie firmly by
the arm.

Ronnie could have knocked him down; but realised that this would be the
surest way to find himself more than ever hedged in by precautions. So
he stood back, in wrathful silence, and, as Dick's gay face appeared at
the window of a third-class smoker, the "valet" loosed his hold and
disappeared. It may here be recorded that this was the last time Ronnie
saw him. Apparently he found it necessary to carry Dr. Dick's bag all
the way back to town.

"Hullo, old chap!" cried Dick.

"Hullo, Dick!" said Ronnie. "This is better than Leipzig,