usness of strength and
braced-up vigour; his mind rejoicing to look forward into the boundless
possibilities held out by the adventure in which he was involved; that
other ghastly horror, which had haunted him for so long, now put far
away. Risk, excitement, peril, daring, to be rewarded by wealth, after
long years of unnatural stagnation. The prospect opened out a vista as
of boundless delight.

Yet was this dashed--dashed by an impending parting. The certainty of
this would ever intrude and quench his exultation. Sweet Lilith! how she
had subtilely intertwined herself within his life! Well, he was strong;
he could surely keep himself in hand. It should be a part of his
training. Still, though the certainty of impending separation would
quench his exultation, on awakening to the light of each new day, which
brought that parting nearer, yet there was another certainty, that at
least a portion of every such day should be spent with her.

But even he, with all his strength, with all his foresight, little
realized what the actual moment of that parting should mean.

CHAPTER XI.

"AT THE TWELFTH HOUR."

He was there to say good-bye.

As he sat waiting, the soft subdued hush of the shaded room, in its cool
fragrance, struck upon his senses as with an influence of depression, of
sadness, of loss. He had come to bid farewell. Farewell! Now the moment
had arrived he, somehow, felt it.

Would she never come in? His nerves seemed all on edge, and ever upon
the glowing midday heat, the jarring thump of the Crown Reef battery
beat its monotonous time. Then the door opened softly, and Lilith
entered.

Never had she seemed to look more sweet, more inviting. The rich, dark
beauty, always more enthralling, more captivating when warmed by the
constant kiss of its native southern sun; the starry eyes, wide with
earnestness; the sad, sweet expression of the wistful lips; the glorious
splendour of the perfect form, in its cool, creamy white draperies.
Laurence Stanninghame, gazing upon her, realized with a dull, dead ache
at the heart, that all his self-boasted strength was but the veriest
weakness. And now he had come to say farewell.

"I can hardly realize that we shall not see each other again," Lilith
said, after a transparently feeble attempt or two on the part of both
of them to talk on indifferent subjects. "When do you expect to return?
How long will you be away?"

"'It may be for years, and it may be for ever,