nastery or a dance hall; he may elope, or hang himself--or he may
write a song or poem, or kiss his wife unasked, or give his funds to
the search of a microbe. Then the peripheral soul will return; and we
have our safe, sane citizen again. It is but the revolt of the Ego
against Order; and its effect is to shake up the atoms only that they
may settle where they belong.

Geddie's revulsion had been a mild one--no more than a swim in a
summer sea after so inglorious an object as a drifting bottle. And
now he was himself again. Upon his desk, ready for the post, was a
letter to his government tendering his resignation as consul, to be
effective as soon as another could be appointed in his place. For
Bernard Brannigan, who never did things in a half-way manner, was to
take Geddie at once for a partner in his very profitable and various
enterprises; and Paula was happily engaged in plans for refurnishing
and decorating the upper story of the Brannigan house.

The consul rose from his hammock when he saw the conspicuous stranger
in his door.

"Keep your seat, old man," said the visitor, with an airy wave of his
large hand. "My name's Smith; and I've come in a yacht. You are the
consul--is that right? A big, cool guy on the beach directed me here.
Thought I'd pay my respects to the flag."

"Sit down," said Geddie. "I've been admiring your craft ever since it
came in sight. Looks like a fast sailer. What's her tonnage?"

"Search me!" said Smith. "I don't know what she weighs in at. But
she's got a tidy gait. The _Rambler_--that's her name--don't take the
dust of anything afloat. This is my first trip on her. I'm taking a
squint along this coast just to get an idea of the countries where
the rubber and red pepper and revolutions come from. I had no idea
there was so much scenery down here. Why, Central Park ain't in it
with this neck of the woods. I'm from New York. They get monkeys, and
cocoanuts, and parrots down here--is that right?"

"We have them all," said Geddie. "I'm quite sure that our fauna and
flora would take a prize over Central Park."

"Maybe they would," admitted Smith, cheerfully. "I haven't seen them
yet. But I guess you've got us skinned on the animal and vegetation
question. You don't have much travel here, do you?"

"Travel?" queried the consul. "I suppose you mean passengers on the
steamers. No; very few people land in Coralio. An investor now and
then--tourists and sight-seers generally go further