received with surprise. They all looked at her, and some
of them wondered, perhaps, why her smiling eyes had lost their mirth.
Yet there was nothing unreasonable in the mere fact that a certain
Chilean named Ventana, who had business relations with Mr. Baring,
should make the acquaintance of Isobel Baring's friend. As quickly as
it had arisen, the feeling of strangeness passed.

Courtenay even laughed. Elsie as the Jonah of the ship was a quaint
conceit.

"I mentioned Ventana because I was told he took some part of the
insurance on his own account," he explained. "But he was a member of
Baring's copper syndicate, and, indeed, was spoken of as a mining
engineer of high repute. Believe me, I was not jumping to conclusions
on that account."

"I know him to be a very bad man," said Elsie, slowly. Her face was
white and her eyes downcast. It was evident that the sudden
introduction of Ventana's personality was distressing to her, but
Courtenay, preoccupied with the dastardly attempt made to sink his
ship, did not observe this feature of a peculiar discussion.

"Bad! In what sense, Miss Maxwell?" he asked unguardedly.

"In the most loathsome sense. He is evil-minded, vicious, altogether
detestable. If Mr. Baring knew his character as I know it, Ventana
would not be allowed to enter his office."

"Pedro Ventana?" interrupted Christobal. "Is he a half-caste, a tall,
brown-skinned man, who affects an American drawl when he speaks
English--a man prominent in Santiago society and in mining circles
generally?"

"Yes," said Elsie.

"That is odd, exceedingly so. I once heard a rumor--but perhaps it is
unfair to mention it in this connection. Yet it cannot hurt any one if
I state that Isobel Baring and he were--well--how shall I put it?--at
any rate, there was a lively summer-hotel sort of attachment between
them."

"Isobel has never told me that," said Elsie, nerving herself for a
personal disclosure which was obviously disagreeable. "I own a small
ranch near Quillota, and, as there was a chance of copper being located
there, Mr. Baring advised me to employ Ventana as an expert prospector.
Indeed, Mr. Baring himself sent Ventana to examine the property and
report on it. He came to see me. He told me there were no minerals of
value on my land, but I could never free myself from him afterwards.
Indeed, I am running away from him now."

She uttered the concluding words with a genuine indignation which
fort