where Farquharson had been hurled
headlong, and he was not.

Wadakimba, viewing all this from afar, had scuttled off to his hut.
Later he had ventured back to the scene of the tragedy. He had picked up
Farquharson's scorched helmet, which had been blown off to some
distance, and he also exhibited a pair of binoculars washed down by the
tide of lava, scarred and twisted by the heat, from which the lenses had
melted away.

I translated for Miss Stanleigh briefly, while she stood turning over in
her hands the twisted and blackened binoculars, which were still warm.
She heard me through without question or comment, and when I proposed
that we get back to the _Sylph_ at once, mindful of her aunt's
distressed nerves, she assented with a nod. She seemed to have lost the
power of speech. In a daze she followed as I led the way back through
the forest.

* * * * *

Major Stanleigh and his wife deferred their departure for England until
their niece should be properly married to Joyce. At Eleanor's wish, it
was a very simple affair, and as Joyce's bride she was as eager to be
off to his rubber-plantation in Malduna as he was to set her up there as
mistress of his household. I had agreed to give them passage on the
_Sylph_, since the next sailing of the mail-boat would have necessitated
a further fortnight's delay.

Mrs. Stanleigh, with visions of seeing England again, and profoundly
grateful to a benevolent Providence that had not only brought "this
dreadful business of Eleanor's" to a happy termination, but had averted
Lakalatcha's baptism of fire from descending upon her own head, thanked
me profusely and a little tearfully. It was during the general chorus of
farewells at the last moment before the _Sylph_ cast off. Her last
appeal, cried after us from the wharf where she stood frantically waving
a wet handkerchief, was that I should give Muloa a wide berth.

It brought a laugh from Joyce. He had discovered the good lady's extreme
perturbation in regard to Lakalatcha, and had promptly declared for
spending a day there with his bride. It was an exceptional opportunity
to witness the volcano in its active mood. Each time that Joyce had
essayed this teasing pleasantry, which never failed to draw Mrs.
Stanleigh's protests, I observed that his wife remained silent. I
assumed that she had decided to keep her own counsel in regard to the
trip she had made there.

"I'm trusting you not to take E