me--is
this the photograph of your husband, and is this man on this island?"

With shaking fingers she took it from him, looked at it, and then raised
her face to the officer.

"Is this the doin' of a man called Obadiah Howlman?"

"Yes," answered the lieutenant, "it _is_ the work of Obadiah Howlman. He
brought this photograph to the Admiral only a few days ago."

A savage gleam came into her eyes. "The brute! I kill him for _this_
some day!"

"That will not save your husband, my girl," said Carteret; then he
waited a moment and added, "whatever it might do later on."

Suddenly the girl's dark eyes filled with tears, and she laid her hand
on the officer's sleeve.

"What is to be done, sir? For God's sake don' you take my husband from
me, sir."

"_This_ can be done. You have seen this photograph. You say that it is
not that of your husband, don't you? But, Tui, I must do my duty, do you
understand? I must see your husband."

"And you are the man whose life he saved--for now I 'member your name
and the story he told me long ago--you who say you are his friend,
you would do this thing, you who in the ship gave him money so that he
might----"

"Wait, my girl, till I have finished; then you will understand. Listen
now. I will remain here, and you will yourself find your husband and
bring him here to this house so that I may see him. Bring him here
quickly, and by some way that my men cannot see his face. And then, Tui,
when I have spoken to him, then for your sake and for his sake I will
lie, and swear he is not the man I have been sent to take. Then, when
my ship has gone, you--you and he--you must promise me this, Tui--must
leave this island as quickly as possible; so that when Obadiah Howlman
sends another warship here--as he will do--they may not discover that I
am a liar and have been false to my duty."

"Oh, sir, is this true? Surely you would not tell a lie to a poor native
girl like me?"

"Go, my girl"--and Carteret placed a kindly hand on her shoulder--"go
quickly to Parker--I know very well that he is not far off. _He_ will
believe what I say."

For a moment she gazed intently into his face, as if she would read his
soul; and then seizing his hand pressed it to her lips, and went out by
the door that opened at the rear of the house.

Then the lieutenant opened the front door and walked slowly across to
where the marines were standing.

"Take your men out of sight, sergeant. I don't want this fell