chance in trying to get her a passport. He had had to be truculent. He
was only trying to do a decent turn to a neutral. Mr. Dainopoulos would
have applied himself only he felt he was in a delicate position, having
chartered his ship to the Government, and so did not want to embarrass
them. And so on. A new Mr. Spokesly. Perhaps his visit to the Post
Office for letters had something to do both with his truculence and his
present air of fascinated interest in Evanthia's face. For there had
been no letters. There you were, you see. Out of sight, out of mind. The
new Mr. Spokesly was a shade more rugged than the other, a shade harder
in the line from ear to chin, a shade more solid on his pins. Evanthia
pulled his head over to her ear.

"What time ship go away?" she asked hurriedly.

"To-morrow," he muttered, remembering Jack Harrowby's indiscretion.
"To-morrow, but you mustn't tell anybody."

"Pst! Who should I tell, stupidity! To-night you go on the ship, eh?"

"They won't let a lady go through...." he began and she pulled his ear.

"Tck! You go on the ship. By and by, late, late, I come, too."

"No. Look here, dear, the picket launches'll see a boat as soon...."

She held up her finger warningly.

"I wait. You come. Watch! In the window a little light. Pprrp!"

She flicked her fingers at him and ran away.

Mr. Spokesly looked after her and sighed with relief and anxiety at the
same time. He knew it was a ticklish game to play. If she started coming
out in a boat from the shore here, as sure as death those naval pickets
who were for ever rushing about would dart up and want to know all about
it. And get both him and his employer into trouble. It was up to her
now. He had bought an officer's tin trunk and it had been three parts
full of her clothes when he went aboard with it. He doubted if she could
make it. Well, he had arranged to spend the night on board because
Captain Rannie was off on some peculiar jamboree of his own, and he
would keep a look-out for the little light. And then Mr. Spokesly saw a
light in his mind. He smiled. His imagination was not a facile piece of
machinery. He saw things steadily and sometimes saw them whole, but he
did not see them at all if they were any distance ahead. He had now
caught sight of what lay ahead. He smiled again, and went in to supper.

Mr. Dainopoulos, who was always well aware of things very far away
ahead, was much occupied in his mind, but he kept up a good flow