f the hills seemed barren, but I had no doubt that there was
more fertility in the valleys, which were not swept by the bluff winds
of the wild sea. But the Prince was obstinate, and, relying upon his
luck, was dragging down with him the lives of the two women he loved,
to say nothing of the rest of our company. We had therefore to make the
best of the situation, and to sit down and await issues with what
composure we might.

The Prince himself had recovered wonderfully, though I did not like the
look of the dent on his head, which had been dealt apparently by the
back of an axe. His power of recuperation astonished me, and I was
amazed on leaving the cabin in which Lane was housed, to find him
entering the doorway that led from the lobby. I remonstrated with him,
for it was evident that he had been wandering, and I wanted him to
rest, so as to have all his strength for use later should it be
necessary. He smiled queerly.

"Yet you would have me take a turn on the island, doctor," he said. "I
saw it in your eyes. I will not have you encourage the Princess so. It
is my wish to stay. I will see my luck to the end."

This was the frame of his mind, and you will conceive how impossible to
move one so fanatically fixed on his course; indeed, the futility of
argument was evident from the first, and I made no attempt.
Barraclough, too, retired defeated, though it was by no means his last
word on the point, as you shall hear.

I was seated in the corridor some three hours later, near what should
have been four bells, when I heard my name called softly. I looked
about me without seeing any one. The wounded men were resting, and
Legrand was at the farther end of the corridor, acting as sentinel over
our makeshift of a fortress. I sat wondering, and then my name was
called again--called in a whisper that, nevertheless, penetrated to my
ears and seemed to carry on the quiet air. I rose and went towards
Legrand.

"Did you call?" I asked.

He shook his head. "No," said he.

"I heard my name distinctly," I said.

"Oh, don't get fancying things, Phillimore," he said with impatient
earnestness. "My dear fellow, there's only you and Barraclough and me
now."

"Well, I'd better swallow some of my own medicine," I retorted grimly,
and left him.

I walked back again and turned. As I did so, the call came to me so
clearly and so softly that I knew it was no fancy on my part, and now I
involuntarily lifted my eyes upwards to the