eekly in his wake,
stood listening for a moment to the confused stream of explanations. He
understood well enough what had happened, but with Selingman at his elbow
he assumed an air of non-comprehension.

"It is extraordinary!" the latter exclaimed. "Never do I choose this
route but I am visited with some mishap. You hear what has happened?"

"Fellow's trying to tell me," Norgate replied, "but his Flemish is worse
to understand than German."

"The steamer," Selingman announced, "has met with an accident entering
the harbour. There will be a delay of at least six hours--possibly more.
It is most annoying. My appointments in London have been fixed for days."

"Bad luck!" Norgate murmured.

"You do not seem much distressed."

"Why should I be? I really came this way because I was not sure whether
I would not stay here for a few days."

"That is all very well for you," Selingman declared, as they followed
their porters into the shed. "For me, I am a man of affairs. It is
different. My business goes by clockwork. All is regulated by rule, with
precision, with punctuality. Now I shall be many hours behind my
schedule. I shall be compelled to alter my appointments--I, who pride
myself always upon altering nothing. But behold! One must make the best
of things. What a sunshine! What a sea! We shall meet, without a doubt,
upon the Plage. I have friends here. I must seek them. Au revoir, my
young travelling companion. To the good fortune!"

They drifted apart, and Norgate, having made arrangements about his
luggage, strolled through the town and on to the promenade. It was early
for the full season at Ostend, but the sands were already crowded with an
immense throng of children and holiday-makers. The hotels were all open,
and streams of people were passing back and forth along the front,
Norgate, who had no wish to meet acquaintances, passed the first period
of his enforced wait a little wearily. He took a taxicab and drove as far
as Knocke. Here he strolled across the links and threw himself down
finally amongst a little wave of sandy hillocks close to the sea. The
silence, and some remains of the sleepiness of the previous night, soon
began to have their natural effect. He closed his eyes and began to doze.
When he awoke, curiously enough, it was a familiar voice which first fell
upon his ears. He turned his head cautiously. Seated not a dozen yards
away from him was a tall, thin man with a bag of golf clubs by his sid