ad
fallen out; and, far and near, the face of the links was cicatrised with
little patches of burnt furze. Thick smoke still went straight upwards
in the windless air of the morning, and a great pile of ardent cinders
filled the bare walls of the house, like coals in an open grate. Close
by the islet a schooner yacht lay-to, and a well-manned boat was pulling
vigorously for the shore.

"The _Red Earl_!" I cried. "The _Red Earl_ twelve hours too late!"

"Feel in your pocket, Frank. Are you armed?" asked Northmour.

I obeyed him, and I think I must have become deadly pale. My revolver
had been taken from me.

"You see I have you in my power," he continued. "I disarmed you last
night while you were nursing Clara; but this morning--here--take your
pistol. No thanks!" he cried, holding up his hand. "I do not like them;
that is the only way you can annoy me now."

He began to walk forward across the links to meet the boat, and I
followed a step or two behind. In front of the pavilion I paused to see
where Mr. Huddlestone had fallen; but there was no sign of him, nor so
much as a trace of blood.

"Graden Floe," said Northmour.

He continued to advance till we had come to the head of the beach.

"No farther, please," said he. "Would you like to take her to Graden
House?"

"Thank you," I replied; "I shall try to get her to the minister's at
Graden-Wester."

The prow of the boat here grated on the beach, and a sailor jumped
ashore with a line in his hand.

"Wait a minute, lads!" cried Northmour; and then lower and to my private
ear: "You had better say nothing of all this to her," he added.

"On the contrary!" I broke out, "she shall know everything that I can
tell."

"You do not understand," he returned, with an air of great dignity. "It
will be nothing to her; she expects it of me. Good-bye!" he added, with
a nod.

I offered him my hand.

"Excuse me," said he. "It's small, I know; but I can't push things quite
so far as that. I don't wish any sentimental business, to sit by your
hearth a white-haired wanderer, and all that. Quite the contrary: I hope
to God I shall never again clap eyes on either one of you."

"Well, God bless you, Northmour!" I said heartily.

"Oh, yes," he returned.

He walked down the beach; and the man who was ashore gave him an arm on
board, and then shoved off and leaped into the bows himself. Northmour
took the tiller; the boat rose to the waves, and the oars between the
thole-pi