d helping me, I will henceforth
follow the Lord!"

To the surprise of the young man the Secretary turned suddenly on him
and grasped his hand, and said in a low voice, as he looked cautiously
round--"It gives me joy to hear you speak so. I too am a follower of
Jesus. I tell you this because I know, now, that you will not betray
me. There are many of us in the palace besides Prince Rakota, but we
dare not speak out, for the Queen is very angry, as you know. Hush!
Tell it not even to our companions. Little birds have ears. If the
Queen suspects any of us, in her present state of mind, she will either
ruin or kill us."

"I have heard something of this," said Mark, "from the friend who guided
us to the capital--"

"I know," interrupted the Secretary, with an intelligent nod. "It was
Ravoninohitriniony. He is well-known to us. He loves Rafaravavy, and
is now in the neighbourhood of the capital, hoping to induce her to fly
with him to the forests. You are surprised, but you would not be so if
you knew the number of spies that Ranavalona has out everywhere."

"Has my friend Ravonino," (we call him so for brevity), "been seen in--
in--I mean _near_ the city lately?" asked Mark, anxiously.

"Not _in_ the city, certainly," returned the Secretary. "Bold and
daring though he is, he would scarcely venture that; but he has been
seen and heard of more than once lately."

Mark felt relieved. It was evident the Secretary neither knew of nor
suspected the fact that Ravonino had actually attended the garden party
and met Rafaravavy almost under the Queen's eyes! Remembering, however,
that the Prime Minister had sent Soa to pretend to be a Christian, in
order that he might discover the secrets of the Christians, and not
having yet had much experience of the Secretary's character, he resolved
to be very cautious in his reference to Ravonino,--indeed to any one
with whom he had to do. Acting on this resolve he changed the subject
by asking questions about the extensive rice-grounds around the capital.

The Secretary was of a communicative disposition, and evidently fond of
airing his English. He willingly followed in conversation wherever the
young doctor chose to lead, and gave him and his friends a great deal of
interesting information as to the manners and customs of the Malagasy
people--their habits, beliefs, and laws.

Among the latter he spoke of a curious fact in regard to criminals which
gave Mark a sudden ins