'I shall be, Clare--on our wedding day.'

Clare frowned. 'You never will be in earnest about anything; you
always turn my thoughts into ridicule.'

'Indeed I do not. But I am a plain, matter-of-fact soldier, and live
on earth; you are in dreamland half your time, or in the clouds.
Clare, darling, I cannot bear the thoughts of Africa sometimes; how
shall I be able to stand being away from you so long? And time is
slipping away so fast; only a fortnight more before I am off.'

'You will come down again before you start, of course?'

'Oh yes, I certainly intend to do so; but I have a lot to do in
town--it may be only the last day that you will see me.'

Clare sighed, but said nothing, and then Captain Knox said suddenly,--

'Is Agatha very religious, Clare?

'No, I don't think so--not particularly. She is fond of church and all
that, but she doesn't often speak out as she did at dinner to-night.
Now, don't let us be gloomy; come indoors, and I will show you
Bluebeard's cupboard in the study, It is well worth looking at, for it
is beautifully carved, and I am going to try and copy it. You know how
I love carving.'

She took him to the study, and there, by the aid of a lamp, they
examined the old oak cupboard in the deep recess at the side of the
fireplace.

'The strange thing is that there seems to be no lock or opening at all
to it,' said Clare. 'I have spent hours in trying to find out where it
is opened. Do you think one day I shall touch a spring, the doors will
fly open, and there we shall see his headless wives?'

She was laughing now, and full of animation. Captain Knox passed his
fingers lightly across the carving.

'I expect one of these carved bits is movable,' he said. 'It is a
handsome bit of handicraft. What is this along the bottom, a scroll
with writing?'

'That is what I say it is; Gwen says not, but I am sure those
hieroglyphics mean something.'

It looks like Arabic characters,' said Captain Knox with interest. 'I
believe it is so. Here, stop a minute; let me copy these in my
notebook. I shall be studying Arabic on my way out, and if I find I
can translate this, I will let you know.'

'Perhaps it is a clue to the mystery,' said Clare, with shining eyes;
'I am dying to know what this cupboard contains. Mrs. Tucker said she
never saw it opened the whole time she was here; but Mr. Lester told
her once that he prized this cupboard more than anything else in the
house. She thin