lroyd might in some way have learned his
secret on the voyage home. Suppose, for instance, a fellow-passenger
possessed a copy of 'Illusion,' and chanced to lend it to him--what
should he do if his friend were to meet him with a stern and
contemptuous repulse, rendering all conciliation out of the question?
Tortured by speculations like these, he kept nervously away from the
others on board, and paced restlessly up and down near the bows; he
saw nothing consciously then, but afterwards every detail of those
terrible ten minutes came back to him vividly, down to the lights
still hanging in the rigging of the vessels in harbour, and the hoarse
cries of the men in a brown-sailed lugger gliding past them out to
sea. Out by the bar there was a light haze, in the midst of which lay
the long black hull of the 'Coromandel,' and to this the tender worked
round in a tedious curve preparatory to lying alongside. As they
passed under the stern Mark nerved himself to look amongst the few
figures at the gangway for the face he feared--but Holroyd was not
amongst them. After several unsuccessful attempts of a Lascar to catch
the rope thrown from the tender, accompanied by some remarks in a
foreign language on his part which _may_ have been offered in polite
excuse for his awkwardness, the rope was secured at length, the tender
brought against the vessel's side, and the gangway lashed across. Then
followed a short delay, during which the P. and O. captain, in
rough-weather costume, conversed with the agent across the rails with
a certain condescension.

'Thick as a hedge outside,' Mark heard him say; 'haven't turned in all
night. What are we all waiting for now? Here, quartermaster, just ask
the doctor to step forward, will you?'

Somehow, at the mention of the doctor, Holroyd's allusions to his
illness recurred to Mark's mind, and hopes he dared not confess even
to himself, so base and vile were they, rose in his heart.

'Here's the doctor; clean bill of health, eh, doctor?' asked the
agent--and Mark held his breath for the answer.

'All well on board.'

'Tumble in, then;' and there was an instant rush across the gangway.
Mark followed some of the crowd down into the saloon, where the
steward was laying breakfast, but he could not see Holroyd there
either, and for a few minutes was pent up in a corner in the general
bustle which prevailed. There were glad greetings going on all around
him, confused questions and answers, rapid d