mnly back toward the Banker's Folly, leaving
the overjoyed maid to bundle up all her many gifts. A grateful wink to
Jules Victor from the Prince rewarded the disguised valet, as he gayly
sped away to meet his mistress, and to obtain her orders for the next
day. This artful game of mingled Literature and Love had so far been
safely played, but Jules Victor had secretly warned Nadine Johnstone
against any confidences with her pretty London sewing woman. "She has
found a sweetheart here. He is a curious looking fellow, he has money
and is liberal, and, so, what you tell her she will surely tell her
sweetheart. Trust to no one but the other maid, who is devoted to me,"
proudly said the dapper little Frenchman. Nearing the mansion, on this
eventful morning, Prince Djiddin, at a hidden bend of a leafy path,
whispered to his fair conductress, "For God's sake, darling Nadine, do
not betray yourself! Those sweetly shining eyes are tell-tale stars!
Your heart happiness will struggle for expression. Go to your rooms at
once. Pour out your happy heart in song, lift up your voice. But, watch
over your very heart-throbs! Only a single fortnight more, darling,
and we will clip the claws of this old Scottish lion who has you in his
clutches!

"Anstruther will soon make his coup de main, for Hawke has at last gone
back to India, and we will have a deadly grasp soon on the frightened
Andrew Fraser. He must either give up his legal tyranny and yield you to
us, or else face a future which would appall even a braver man. I dare
not to tell you our secret yet. Only the Viceroy and Anstruther know it.
And, now, darling, above all, be sure not to betray yourself, in London.
Remember that Anstruther will have you secretly watched, from this gate
to the very moment when you return to it! Any false play of old Fraser
would lead to his detention by the authorities, and you would be freed
at once by the law!"

In the three weeks of their long masquerade, neither Prince Djiddin,
his scribe and interpreter, or else the two, as studious visitors, never
left Andrew Fraser alone a single moment! The old scholar was thrilled
at heart with Eric Murray's solemn rehearsing of Frank Halton's valuable
notebooks and ingenious theories. He eagerly enforced Prince Djiddin's
request that no curious strangers should be allowed to force themselves
on him, no matter of what lofty rank. Prince Djiddin was wrapped in the
veil of a solemn personal seclusion.

And to