ve.
If you are not at the place by nine, remember, I shall come to you.'

'Oh, I will be there,' said Mark recklessly; and they parted.

As Mabel and Mark were walking back, she said suddenly, 'I suppose,
when you met Vincent last, you told him that you were going to marry
me, Mark?'

'Didn't he say so?' he answered, prevaricating even then.

'I thought you must have done so,' she said, and was silent.

Vincent _had_ known then. He had deliberately kept away from them all.
He had pretended to ignore the marriage when they met; that was his
way of resenting it. She had not thought of this till then, and it
confirmed her in the idea that Ceylon had sadly changed him.

They dined alone together in the large bare _Speise-Saal_, for the
handsome hotel was scarcely ever occupied even in the season. Now they
had it all to themselves, and the waiters almost fought with one
another for the privilege of attending upon them. The 'Director'
himself--a lively, talkative little German, who felt his managerial
talents wasted in this wilderness--came in to superintend their meals,
partly to refresh himself by the contemplation of two real guests, but
chiefly to extend his English vocabulary.

Hitherto Mark had considered him a nuisance, but he was glad that
evening when the host followed the fish in with his customary
greeting. 'Good-night! You haf made a goot valk? Guten appetit--yes?'
and proceeded to invite them to a grand concert, which was to take
place in the hotel the following Sunday. 'Zere vill pe ze pandt from
Klein-Laufingen; it is all brass, and it is better as you vill not go
too near. Zey blow vair strong ven zey go off, but a laty from hier
vill gambole peautifully after zem on ze piano. You vill come--yes?'

When he had gone at last little Max came in and stood by Mabel, with
his mouth gaping like a young bird's for chance fragments of dessert.
Mark was grateful to him, too, for diverting her attention from
himself. He grew more and more silent as the long Black Forest clock
by the shining porcelain stove ticked slowly on towards the hour. It
was time to go, and he rose with a shiver.

'You will not be very long away, will you, dear?' said Mabel, looking
up from the orange she was peeling for the child. 'And you will do
what you can for the poor woman, I know.'

'Yes, yes,' he said as he reached the door. 'Good-bye, Mabel!'

'Good-bye,' she said, nodding to him brightly. 'Max, say
"Good-evening, Herr Mark;