eef in the Indian
Ocean five-and-twenty years ago, and the proof of it will last as long
as Captain Bridewell can keep his arm and lift his voice to tell his
story, and I think that will be a good many years, now that your little
scheme is exploded. You'll make no X-ray martyr of that dear old man, so
the money you spent in the instrument on the other side of that board
partition, the thing whose buzzing you made him believe came from an
electric fan, represents just so many sovereigns thrown away!"

* * * * *

"Yes, it was a crafty plot, a scheme very well laid indeed," said Cleek,
when he went next day to the lych-gate to say good-bye again to Ailsa
Lorne. "Undoubtedly a mild poison was used in the beginning, as an
excuse, you know, for the 'colonel' to get him away and into the charge
of the 'doctor,' and, once there, the rest was easy if subtle. The huge
X-ray machine would play always upon the partition whilst the captain
was sleeping, and you know how efficacious that would be when there was
only a thin board between that powerful influence and the object to be
operated upon. Then, too, the head of the bed was so arranged that the
captain's right side would always be exposed to the influence, so there
was no possibility of evading it.

"How did I suspect it? Well, to tell you the truth, I never did suspect
it until I saw the captain's hand. Then I recognized the marks. I saw
the hand of a doctor, an X-ray martyr, who sacrificed himself to science
last year, Miss Lorne, and the marks were identical. Oh, well, I've
solved the riddle, Miss Lorne, that's the main point, and now--now I
must emulate 'Poor Joe' and move on again."

"And without any reward, without asking any, without expecting any. How
good of you--how generous!"

He stood a moment, twisting his heel into the turf and breathing
heavily. Then, quite suddenly:

"Perhaps I did want one," he said, looking into her eyes. "Perhaps I
want one still. Perhaps I always hoped that I should get it, and that it
would come from you!"

A rush of sudden colour reddened all her face. She let her eyes fall,
and said nothing. But what of that? After all, actions speak louder than
utterances, and Cleek could see that there was a smile upon her lips. He
stretched forth his hand and laid it gently on her arm.

"Miss Lorne," he said very softly, "if, some day when all the wrongs I
did in those other times, are righted, and all the atonem