sir."

"And she saw him, I suppose?"

"Yes, but I thought I'd better tell you, sir," says Blunt.

"Of course; quite right," returned the other; "you had better start at
once. It's no use waiting."

"As you wish, sir. I can sail to-morrow morning--or this evening, if you
like."

"This evening," says Frere, turning away; "as soon as possible."

"There's a situation in Sydney I've been looking after," said the other,
uneasily, "if you could help me to it."

"What is it?"

"The command of one of the Government vessels, sir."

"Well, keep sober, then," says Frere, "and I'll see what I can do. And
keep that woman's tongue still if you can."

The pair looked at each other, and Blunt grinned slavishly.

"I'll do my best." "Take care you do," returned his patron, leaving him
without further ceremony.

Frere found Vickers in the garden, and at once begged him not to talk
about the "business" to his daughter.

"You saw how bad she was to-day, Vickers. For goodness sake don't make
her ill again."

"My dear sir," says poor Vickers, "I won't refer to the subject. She's
been very unwell ever since. Nervous and unstrung. Go in and see her."

So Frere went in and soothed the excited girl, with real sorrow at her
suffering.

"It's all right now, Poppet," he said to her. "Don't think of it any
more. Put it out of your mind, dear."

"It was foolish of me, Maurice, I know, but I could not help it. The
sound of--of--that man's voice seemed to bring back to me some great
pity for something or someone. I don't explain what I mean, I know,
but I felt that I was on the verge of remembering a story of some great
wrong, just about to hear some dreadful revelation that should make me
turn from all the people whom I ought most to love. Do you understand?"

"I think I know what you mean," says Frere, with averted face. "But
that's all nonsense, you know."

"Of course," returned she, with a touch of her old childish manner of
disposing of questions out of hand. "Everybody knows it's all nonsense.
But then we do think such things. It seems to me that I am double, that
I have lived somewhere before, and have had another life--a dream-life."

"What a romantic girl you are," said the other, dimly comprehending her
meaning. "How could you have a dream-life?"

"Of course, not really, stupid! But in thought, you know. I dream such
strange things now and then. I am always falling down precipices and
into cataracts, and being pushed