XII. SAARON ISLAND 158

XIII. THE LADY FROM THE SEA 174

XIV. AFTER SERVICE 190

XV. BREFAR CHURCH 205

XVI. THE LORD PROPRIETOR'S AUDIENCE 221

XVII. THE LORD PROPRIETOR RECEIVES A DOUBLE SHOCK 232

XVIII. VASHTI PLEADS FOR SAARON 243

XIX. THE COMMANDANT'S CONSCIENCE 262

XX. THE GUITAR AND THE CASEMENT 277

XXI. SUSPICIONS 293

XXII. PIPER'S HOLE 306

XXIII. THE LORD PROPRIETOR HEARS A SIREN SONG 320

XXIV. LINNET SEES A MERMAID 337

XXV. MISSING! 344

XXVI. THE SEARCH 356

XXVII. ENTER THE COMMISSIONER 373

XXVIII. THE FINDING 387

XXIX. CONCLUSION 399

MAJOR VIGOUREUX

CHAPTER I

IN THE GARRISON GARDEN

"Archelaus," said the Commandant, "where did you get those trousers?"
Sergeant Archelaus, who, as he dug in the neglected garden, had been
exposing a great quantity of back-view (for he was a long man),
straightened himself up, faced about, and, grounding his long-handled
spade as it were a musket, stood with palms crossed over the top of it.

"Off the Lord Proprietor," he answered.

The Commandant, seated on a bench under the veronica hedge, a few yards
higher up the slope, laid down his book, took off his spectacles, wiped
them, and replaced them very deliberately.

"The Lord Proprietor? I do not understand--" His face had reddened a
little, as it usually did at mention of the Lord Proprietor.

"Made me a present of 'em," explained Sergeant Archelaus, curtly. "You
don't mean to say you haven't noticed 'em till this minute?"

The Commandant put the question aside. "The Lord Proprietor has no
right to be offering presents to my men--least of all, presents of
clothes."

"If the Government won't send over stores, nor you write for any, I
don't see how the man can help himself. 'Tisn't regulation pattern for
the