proud
of his life-work.

At Calcutta, the noble Viceroy had already given to Major Harry
Hardwicke and Capt. Eric Murray his orders for their performance of a
delicate duty.

"You will find Captain Anstruther to be my personal as well as official
representative in London, and Her Majesty's service demands prudence in
this grave affair. So but one set of confidential cipher dispatches
have been sent on, and Captain Anstruther will have charge of the whole
delicate affair. Should either of you meet Major Alan Hawke in London,
or out of India, your commissions will depend on guarding an absolute
silence as to the whole Johnstone affair. You are trusted, and not
watched, gentlemen," said the great noble, "and he is watched, and not
trusted. Now, I have done all I can for you, as this duty takes you home
and brings you back at the expense of her Majesty's government. You will
not fail to communicate with me from Aden, Suez, and Port Said, as well
as Brindisi, and to report if Madame Louison has received at each place
her telegrams and proceeded on her journey in safety. Her Majesty's
consuls will, in each place, aid you in every way. Should I decide to
drop or quash the whole affair, my young kinsman, Anstruther, represents
me, personally as well as officially."

And so the gay young bridegroom-to-be sailed from Calcutta
light-hearted, while Harry Hardwicke counted each day's reckoning as
bringing him, by leaps and bounds, nearer to the dark-eyed girl now left
alone in the world. "There shall nothing come between us now, my darling
one!" was the young Major's fond vow confided to the evening star,
glowing in its trembling silver radiance over the spicy Indian Ocean.

Alixe Delavigne was still "Madame Berthe Louison" to the glittering
circle of passengers who envied her the state in which she traveled, the
slavish obeisance of the ship's officers, and the deft ministrations
of those admirable servants, Jules Victor and Marie. "A great personage
incognito," was the general verdict, and so the luckless swains hovering
around fell off one by one, as the beautiful woman seemed to be always
wrapped in an unbroken reverie. There was an anxious gleam in the lady's
eyes, for she felt that she was going home to the sternest battle of her
life, and she brooded now only upon the trials of the future. She never
knew how near the dark angel's wing had swooped over her own defenseless
head.

For the gray head now lying low had been