r face his eyes wandered greedily down to her snow-white neck,
her slender, graceful figure, her beautifully molded arms. Certainly,
he mused to himself, his brother was an epicure in love. This woman
was dainty enough to tempt a saint.

"How did it happen?" she asked again.

"It was in the first rush from the burning ship," he said hoarsely. "I
was asleep when the fire broke out. It happened at two o'clock in the
morning. The diamonds were in the belt which each night I unfastened
and put under my pillow. It was more comfortable to do that than to
wear it. When the first alarm came I forgot everything--except my own
safety. I rushed pell-mell on deck. It was a nasty night. We didn't
know where we were, or how grave the situation was. Outside the wind
was howling furiously, the siren was blowing dismally, the
panic-stricken passengers and sailors were fighting like wildcats. I
lost my head along with the rest. I had reached the lifeboat when
suddenly I remembered the belt. I felt at my waist. It was not there.
I remembered I had left it under the pillow. I was horror-stricken.
Great beads of perspiration broke from every pore. The people were
fighting to get into the boat; I fought to get out and back to my
stateroom. Suddenly someone knocked me on the head. I lost
consciousness. When I came to we were miles away from the wreck,
drifting on the ocean in an open boat, and the _Abyssinia_ was nowhere
to be seen."

Helen made an exclamation of sympathy.

"Poor soul--how terrible you must have felt! Thank God, you escaped
with your life! We ought to feel grateful for that. Suppose I had
been compelled to tell Mary that you were drowned. It would have
killed her--you know that. Do you remember what you told her when you
went away?"

He stared at her, not understanding.

"Told who?" he said cautiously.

"Mary."

"Oh, yes--Mary--of course--you mean your sister----"

Helen looked at him in amazement, then in alarm. Could the wreck have
affected his mind? Laughingly she retorted:

"Ray? Of course not. How foolish you are, Kenneth. Don't you
remember that your old nurse came to see you before you sailed?"

He nodded and coughed uneasily, moving restlessly about in his chair,
as if to hide his embarrassment. These questions were decidedly
unpleasant. Inwardly he wished Francois was present to help him out.

"Mary? Oh, yes, I remember--of course--of course----"

The look of anxiety