ame of hide-and-seek was
being played. She joined in, enthusiastically but unintelligently,
concealing herself in various parts of the house without regard to
Smith's habits. Once she remained obstinately hidden for more than an
hour under the Queen's bed.

The results were most unsatisfactory. Smith spent his day sweeping
floors, making beds, cooking food and compounding cocktails for Mr.
Donovan. His few leisure moments were spent in polishing silver. He
was totally uninterested in cipher documents and never looked at
marked coins.

Smith still slept on the steamer, so it fell to Phillips to keep guard
over him at night. He adopted the ingenious, though not very novel
plan of pasting a strip of paper across the door of Smith's cabin. In
the morning, very early, he went to look at the door. The paper was
intact.

So far as could be discovered Smith led a dull, laborious but innocent
life, working hard all day and sleeping sound at night. But the time
spent in shadowing him was not wholly wasted. The Queen and Mr.
Phillips enjoyed themselves thoroughly. So did Kalliope. So, I have no
doubt, did Smith.

"I do call this sleuth work jolly," said the Queen. "Let's try old
Stephanos."

They gave a whole day to Stephanos the Elder. During the early hours
he sat outside the door of his cottage, rolling cigarettes in thin
brown paper and smoking them. When the Queen came near him he stood
up and bowed gravely. When she passed he sat down again. At noon he
went indoors and dined. The Queen sent Kalliope across the harbour to
the palace with a note to Smith. She returned with a large basket. The
Queen and Phillips picnicked on the beach.

Early in the afternoon Stephanos walked through the vineyards which
lay behind the village and sat down under a mulberry tree. The Queen
stalked him. She made her approach in a most approved fashion,
creeping through some low bushes with the utmost caution. She was even
careful to advance against the wind in case Stephanos should have an
unusually acute sense of smell. Phillips and Kalliope watched her from
a hiding-place near the village. When she got within twenty yards of
the old man, he rose to his feet, laid his hand on his heart and bowed
to the Queen with dignified courtesy. If he felt any surprise at
seeing the Queen crawling along the ground on her stomach he did not
show it. His face expressed paternal but quite respectful benignity.
The Queen returned from this expedition ver