to say, Percivail, what my answer shall be," said she,
after, a slight pause. A queer pallor spread over her face.

"For me to say?" he exclaimed.

"Are you not the governor? If it suits your plans for me to give myself
to zat man--"

"My God, Olga! What the devil are you driving at?"

"--to satisfy him until you are prepared to nip zis revolution in the
bud, as you say,--I shall--"

"Thunderation!" he gasped. "You mean you would sacrifice yourself--Great
Scot! What do you think I'm expecting to do? Go to sleep for a month or
so? Bless your heart, my dear Olga, if you are even thinking of getting
married to Fernandez, you'll have to be pretty spry about it. Because
I'm going to nip the business in the bud before tomorrow morning."

"Zat is what I thought," said she, the colour rushing back to her face.

That evening Percival called a meeting of the "cabinet,"--as the council
was now called. They were asked to come to his home, instead of to the
meetinghouse. This, of itself, was surprising. Landover had never set
foot inside the "governor's mansion." While his attitude toward the
"governor's lady" was studiedly courteous, he made no effort to resume
the intimate and friendly relationship that existed before her marriage
to his enemy. Contact with Percival was unavoidable. They met frequently
in "cabinet" conferences, but avoided each other at all other times.

He came to this hastily called meeting, however, and Percival was the
only man present who was not dumbfounded. Sheriff Shay, in summoning the
members to this secret meeting, had delivered a message that Landover
could not well afford to ignore.

Seventeen men were crowded into the little sitting-room of the house.
Each one of them bore a high-sounding title. There were present, besides
Percival, State Treasurer Landover, Chief Justice Malone, Minister of
War Platt, Minister of Marine Mott, Minister of Agriculture Pedro Drom,
State Clerk Flattner, Surgeon General Cullen, Lord High Sheriff Shay,
and the following members of the Executive Council: Snipe, Block,
Jones, Fitts, Knapendyke, Calkins, Ruiz' and Alvara. Ruiz was a Chilean
merchant and Alvara a Brazilian coffee grower. Calkins was an English
cattle buyer.

Percival, with his customary abruptness, announced that there was a plot
on foot to destroy the present government and turn the island over to
the mercy of a gang of desperadoes headed by Manuel Crust.

Landover was on his feet in an instant.