ouse and take a glass of
wine.

"Ah!" said Channing, with a laugh; "then you have got wine as well as
money from the wreck of _L' Aigle Noir_."

The Frenchman's face darkened, and he stopped short.

"You know then, Monsieur, the reason of my remaining on this island?"

"I have heard," answered Channing frankly; and then, noticing the
agitation expressed on the Frenchman's face, he added, "but that does
not concern me, nor indeed any one else on board the _Triton_--not now,
at any rate, since France and England are at peace."

Monsieur Le Mescam seemed greatly relieved at hearing this, and in
another minute, chatting gaily to his visitor, led the way into his
house. The building was but little better than an ordinary native
dwelling, but it was furnished with rude couches and seats made from the
wreckage of the privateer, and scattered about were many articles,
such as weapons, crockery, cooking utensils, clothing, &c. Two or three
native servants, who were lounging about, at once presented themselves
to their master, and one of them, bringing a small keg, filled two
silver cups with wine, and Channing and his host, bowing politely to
each other, drank.

For some little time the two men conversed pleasantly, and then the
Frenchman, who so far had avoided all allusion to the treasure, offered
to conduct his guest a part of the way back to the native village. That
he had not presented Channing to his wife did not surprise the latter,
who imagined that she could scarcely be clothed in a befitting manner to
meet a stranger, and he therefore did not even let his host know that he
was aware of his wife being with him on the island.

Drinking a parting cup of wine together, the two men set out, the
Frenchman leading the way past a number of sheds built of bamboos, and
covered with atap thatch. As they reached the last of these buildings,
which stood almost at the water's edge, they came upon a woman who
was sitting, with her back turned to them, under the shade of the
overhanging thatched eaves, nursing a child.

In a moment she rose to her feet and faced them, and rough and coarsely
clad as she was, Channing was struck by her great beauty and her sad and
mournful face.

For a moment the Frenchman hesitated, and with a quick "Sit you there,
Adela, I shall return shortly," was turning away again with Channing,
when they heard the woman's voice calling in French, "Adrian, come
back!" and then in another moment she adde