f
consideration for him. Fenwick watched by the sick man, and Pollard and
Barry bestirred themselves to get ready the morning meal, and to attend
to the wants of their two helpless companions.

It was not until evening that Brian found an opportunity to say to
Percival:--

"What did you want to find me for?"

"Can't you let the matter rest until we are off this ---- island?" said
Percival, losing control of that hidden fierceness for a moment.

And Brian answered rather coldly:--"As you please."

Percival waited awhile, and then said, more deliberately:--

"I'll tell you before long. There is no hurry, you see"--with a sort of
grim humour--"there is no post to catch, no homeward-bound mail steamer
in the harbour. We cannot give each other the slip now."

"Do you mean that I gave you the slip?" said Brian, to whom Percival's
tone was charged with offence.

"I mean that Brian Luttrell would not have been allowed to leave England
quite so easily as Mr. Stretton was. But I won't discuss it just now.
You'll excuse my observing that I think I would drop the 'Mackay' if I
were you. It will hurt nobody here if you are called Luttrell; and--I
hate disguises."

"The name Luttrell is as much a disguise as any other," said Brian,
shortly. "But you may use it if you choose."

He was hardly prepared, however, for the round eyes with which the lad
Barry regarded him when he next entered the log hut, nor for the awkward
way in which he gave a bashful smile and pulled the front lock of his
hair when Brian spoke to him.

"What are you doing that for?" he said, quickly.

"Well, sir, it's Mr. Heron's orders," said Barry.

"What orders?"

"That we're to remember you're a gentleman, sir. Gone steerage in a bit
of a freak; but now you've told him you'd prefer to be called by your
proper name. Mr. Luttrell, that is."

"I'm no more a gentleman than you are," said Brian, abruptly. "Call me
Mackay at once as you used to do."

Barry shook his head with a knowing look. "Daren't sir. Mr. Heron is a
gentleman that will have his own way. And he said you had a big estate
in Scotland, sir; and lots of money."

"What other tales did he tell you?" said Brian, throwing back his head
restlessly.

"Well, I don't know, sir. Only he told us that we'd better nurse you up
as well as we could before we left the island, and that there was one at
home as would give money to see you alive and well. A lady, I think he
meant."

"What insane f