ad towards the use of the
yacht being hinted at.

She counted without Fairholme. The latter slapped his heavy friend on
the back.

"Look here, old chap, are you fixed up for a cruise? Plenty of coal,
champagne, and all that sort of thing?"

"Loaded to the gunwales."

"That's all right, because we may want the _Blue-Bell_ for a month or
so."

"There she is," said Daubeney; "fit to go anywhere and do anything."

Miss Talbot had never heard such extraordinary conduct in her life. She
wondered how two women would have conducted the negotiations. The
question was too abstruse, so she gave it up and contented herself
instead with accepting Daubeney's hearty request that they should
inspect the yacht.

The _Blue-Bell_ was an extremely smart little ship of 250 tons register,
and an ordinary speed of twelve knots. Incidentally Miss Talbot
discovered that the owner made the vessel his home. He was never happy
away from her, and the _Blue-Bell_ was known to every yachtsman from the
Hebrides to the Golden Horn.

To eke out her coal supply she was fitted with sails, and Daubeney
assured his fair visitor that the _Blue-Bell_ could ride out a gale as
comfortably and safely as any craft afloat. Altogether Miss Talbot
congratulated herself on Fairholme's discovery, and she could not help
hoping that their strange errand to Marseilles might eventuate in a
Mediterranean chase.

When the tour of inspection had ended Daubeney suggested an excursion.

"I understand you have never been to Marseilles before, Miss Talbot. In
that case, what do you say if we run over and see the Chateau d'If--the
place that Dumas made famous, you know?"

"Is it far?" said Edith.

"Oh, not very; about a mile across the harbour. Monte Cristo swam the
distance, you know, after his escape."

"Shall we go in the yacht?"

Daubeney bubbled with laughter.

"Well, not exactly, Miss Talbot. You cannot swing a ship of this size
about so easily as all that, you know. I have another craft alongside
that will suit our purpose."

He whistled to a tiny steam launch which Edith had not noticed before,
and without further ado the party seated themselves. They sped rapidly
down the harbour and out through the narrow entrance between the
lighthouses.

No sooner did Edith behold the splendid panorama of rocky coast that
encloses the great outer bay, with its blue waters studded with
delightful little islands, through which fishing boats and small steam
tugs