and Mrs. Fielding, and myself
bored to extinction in my empty castle. And so I hung on. I certainly
never expected you to get married in my absence, _ma Juliette_. That was
the unkindest cut of all. Why didn't you write and tell me?"

"I didn't even know where you were," said Juliet. "You disappeared
without warning. We expected you back at any time."

"Bad excuses every one of 'em!" said Saltash. "You know you wanted to get
it over before I came back. Very rash of you both, but it's your funeral,
not mine. Is this all the honeymoon you're going to have?"

Juliet laughed a little. "Well, my dear Rex, it doesn't much matter where
you are so long as you are happy. We spend a good deal of our time on the
sea and in it. We also go motoring in the squire's little car. And we
superintend the decorating of our house. At the same time Dick is within
reach of the miners who are being rather tiresome, so every one--except
the miners--is satisfied."

"Oh, those infernal miners!" said Saltash, and looked at Dick. "How long
do you think you are going to keep them in hand?"

"I can't say," said Dick somewhat briefly. "I don't advise Lord
Wilchester or any of his people to come down here till something has been
done to settle them."

Saltash laughed. "Oh, Muff won't come near. You needn't be afraid of
that. He's deer-stalking in the Highlands. He's a great believer in
leaving things to settle themselves."

"Is he?" said Dick grimly. "Well, they may do that in a fashion he won't
care for before he's much older."

"Are you organizing a strike?" suggested Saltash, a wicked gleam of
humour in his eyes.

Dick's eyes flashed in answer. "I am not!" he said. "But--I'm damned if
they haven't some reason for striking--if he cares as little as that!"

"How often do you tell 'em so?" said Saltash.

Juliet's hand slipped quietly from Columbus's head to Dick's arm. "May I
have a cigarette, please?" she said.

He turned to her immediately and his fire died down. He offered her his
cigarette-case in silence.

Juliet took one, faintly smiling. "Do you know," she said to Saltash, "it
was Dick's cigarettes that first attracted me to him? When I landed on
this desert island, I had only three left. He came to the rescue--most
nobly, and has kept me supplied ever since. I don't know where he gets
them from, but they are the best I ever tasted."

"He probably smuggles 'em," said Saltash, offering her a match.

"No, I don't," said Dick, ra