the cottage, where Andrew was sitting with a pipe in his
mouth industriously mending a fishing net.

"Andrew," he said, "there are some people coming here, and I am almost
sure that they mean to land."

Andrew rose to his feet and strolled round to the little stretch of
beach in front of the cottage. When he saw who it was who approached,
he stopped short and took his pipe from his mouth.

"By Jove, it's Cecil," he exclaimed, "and his friends!"

His companion nodded. He was a man still on the youthful side of middle
age, with bronzed features, and short, closely-cut beard. He looked
what he was, a traveller and a sportsman.

"So I imagined," he said, "but I don't see Ronald there."

Andrew shaded his eyes with his hand.

"No!" he said. "There is the Princess and Cecil, and Major Forrest and
Miss Le Mesurier. No one else. They certainly do look as though they
were going to land here."

"Why not?" the other man remarked. "Why shouldn't Cecil come to visit
his hermit brother?"

Andrew frowned.

"Berners," he said, "I want you to remember this. If they land here and
you see anything of them, will you have the goodness to understand that
I am Mr. Andrew, fisherman, and that you are my lodger?"

Andrew's companion looked at him in surprise.

"What sort of a game is this, Andrew?" he asked.

Andrew de la Borne shrugged his shoulders and smiled good-naturedly.

"Never mind about that, Dick," he answered. "Call it a whim or anything
else you like. The fact is that Cecil had some guests coming whom I did
not particularly care to meet, and who certainly would not have been
interested in me. I thought it would be best to clear out altogether,
so I have left Cecil in possession of the Hall, and they don't even
know that I exist."

The man named Berners looked up at his host with twinkling eyes.

"Right!" he said. "So far as I am concerned, you shall be Mr. Andrew,
fisherman. Will you also kindly remember that if any curiosity is
evinced as to my identity, I am Mr. Berners, and that I am here for a
rest-cure. By the by, how are you going to explain that elderly
domestic of yours?"

"He is your servant, of course," Andrew answered. "He understands the
position. I have spoken to him already. Yes, they are coming here right
enough! Suppose you help me to pull in the boat for them."

The two men sauntered down to the shelving beach. The boat was close to
them now, and Cecil was standing up in the bows.

"We want