bhal into a lambent vault of violet sky; a pathway of quivering
gold lying across the loch; a mild radiance glittering here and there on
the spars of the small vessel, and out there the great Atlantic lying
still and distant as in a dream. As he sat in this little room and
thought of all these things, he grew to think he had not acted quite
fairly to Sheila. She was so fond of that beautiful island-life, and she
had not even visited the Lewis since her marriage. She should go now. He
would abandon the trip to the Tyrol, and as soon as arrangements could
be made they would together start for the North, and some day find
themselves going up the steep shore to Sheila's home, with the old King
of Borva standing in the porch of the house, and endeavoring to conceal
his nervousness by swearing at Duncan's method of carrying the luggage.

Had not Sheila's stratagem succeeded? That pretty trick of hers in
decorating the room so as to resemble the house at Borvabost had done
all that she could have desired. But where was she?

Lavender rose hastily and looked at his watch. Then he rang the bell,
and a servant appeared. "Did not Mrs. Lavender say when she would
return?" he asked.

"No, sir."

"You don't know where she went?"

"No, sir. The young lady's luggage was put into the cab, and they drove
away without leaving any message."

He scarcely dared confess to himself what fears began to assail him. He
went up stairs to Sheila's room, and there everything appeared to be in
its usual place, even to the smallest articles on the dressing-table.
They were all there, except one. That was a locket, too large and clumsy
to be worn, which some one had given her years before she left Lewis,
and in which her father's portrait had been somewhat rudely set. Just
after their marriage Lavender had taken out this portrait, touched it up
a bit into something of a better likeness, and put it back; and then she
had persuaded him to have a photograph of himself colored and placed on
the opposite side. This locket, open and showing both portraits, she had
fixed on to a small stand, and in ordinary circumstances it always stood
on one side of her dressing-table. The stand was there, the locket was
gone.

He went down stairs again. The afternoon was drawing on. A servant came
to ask him at what hour he wished to dine: he bade her wait till her
mistress came home and consult her. Then he went out.

It was a beautiful, quiet afternoon, with a w