alive--a kind of fish--and got itself embedded in this
piece of limestone because it was too lazy to move. A lesson in
that"--Mr. Fossell wagged his head sagely--"if we choose to take it! To
be sure, it happened thousands of years ago; but there it is--and here
are we. For my part, I don't look at things humorously like my
brother-in-law. I like to find a serious moral where I can."

The Commandant counted the coins and dropped them into his pocket.
Their weight seemed to make a man of him again. He bent and affected to
examine the madrepore.

Mr. Fossell bent also. He was on the point of asking--in a low voice,
that the clerk might not overhear--for an explanation of Miss Gabriel's
gossip. But at this juncture a client entered, and the Commandant
escaped. He went up the hill with a new centre of gravity: so different
is a load in the pocket from a load on the heart.

CHAPTER XX

THE GUITAR AND THE CASEMENT

"A parcel for you, sir!"

Sergeant Archelaus had spied the Commandant coming up the hill, and met
him on the barrack doorstep with the news.

"A parcel?" The Commandant had walked straight from the bank to Mr.
Tregaskis' shop, and there paid his account; but he had made no
purchases. "There must be some mistake, Archelaus; I have ordered
nothing in the town."

"From the mainland, sir."

"God bless my soul!"

"Yes, sir, and marked 'Fragile'; a good-sized box, but uncommon light
to handle. The steamer brought it across this morning, and I've carried
it into the office and placed hammer and chisel handy."

"Now what in the world can this mean?" asked the Commandant, a minute
later, after studying the box and its label. He turned to Archelaus,
who had followed him into the office in a state of suppressed
excitement. "It is certainly addressed to me; and yet--It must be
half-a-dozen years, Archelaus, since anyone sent me a parcel from the
mainland."

"There's but one way to discover," said Archelaus, picking up the
chisel. "Shall I open it, sir?"

"No; give it to me." The Commandant took the tools from him and easily
pried open the lid, for the scantling was light, almost flimsy. Within
lay an object in an oilskin case, by the shape of it, apparently a
violin; and yet somewhat larger than a violin.

Yes, certainly it was a musical instrument; and the Commandant had no
sooner made sure of this than with his hand on the string that tied the
wrapper, he paused.

"It is evident, Archelaus"--his t