ry of the conspiracy. His prompt action in
putting to sea, and his judicious handling of Brant after boarding the
_Cobra_, crowned my humble efforts with success. The idea of letting
Brant and his crew of cut-throats go scot-free, with the advice to
finish their voyage and demand payment and explanations from Bhagwan
Singh, was a masterpiece which augurs well for our young friend's
career. One can imagine the kind of payment that the Maharajah will mete
out when he gets that pack of failures into his dominions."

"I had to handle the wicked little demon judiciously to save my own
skin," said Reggie modestly. "I had no orders to rove the seas in search
of lost heiresses or eloping couples, and my career might have been
nipped in the bud if I'd taken the _Cobra_ into Devonport as a prize. My
lords of the Admiralty are not kind to independent action by junior
officers, and if I had pleaded that I had been ordered to sea by Enid it
would hardly have mended matters. But as we are apportioning rewards and
punishments, we mustn't forget the real heroine of the piece--Nettle
Jimpson, my gunner's best girl. If she hadn't fired that bucketful of
cinders into the engines we shouldn't be all sitting here shaking hands
with ourselves to-night."

Montague Maynard filled his glass and drained it incontinently. "Grigg
and Wynter, drapers, of Weymouth, ceased to exist as a firm to-day," he
remarked oracularly.

"As to how?" demanded Reggie, genuinely puzzled.

"I have bought their business as a little reward for Miss Jimpson," the
man of money replied. "She will have the transfer as soon as ever my
lawyers can put it through."

"Then you've done his gracious Majesty an ill turn in losing him the
most promising acting-gunner in the service," said Reggie. "Ned Parsons,
as his wife's principal shop-walker, will be a standing disgrace to you,
Mr. Maynard, to the end of your days. His only prospect of safety is
that his future spouse is not, from what I saw of her, the sort of
person to tolerate flirtations with the girls behind the counter. But
while you are making everybody happy with that magic touch of yours,
sir, what are you doing for Mr. Lazarus Lowch, the champion juryman. I
hear that he was foreman at the other two inquests, as well as finishing
up Levison."

The millionaire laughed boisterously--so boisterously that it devolved
upon Mr. Mallory to explain.

"Mr. Lazarus Lowch is as tame as a sucking dove," he said, with moc