amaran exploded with a terrific report, and the wave of the
explosion caught the retreating boat, lifted her seven feet, capsized
her, and brought her accurately down, bottom upwards.

A score of boats put out to the rescue, picked up the exhausted
swimmers, and attempted to right and recover the boat, but abandoned
this attempt on the approach of an overwhelming force of French.

These, coming up, seized on the boat and gallantly, under a
short-dropping fire from our squadron, proceeded to right their
prize; and, righting her, discovered Major Hymen, clinging to a
thwart, trapped as an earwig is trapped beneath an inverted
flower-pot.

CHAPTER XVII.

MISSING!

Miss Marty had just finished watering her sweet-peas and mignonette;
had inspected each of the four standard roses beside the front gate
in search of green-fly; had caught a snail sallying forth to dine
late upon her larkspurs, and called to Cai Tamblyn to destroy it;
had, in short, performed all her ritual for the cool of the day; and
was removing her gardening gloves when a vehement knocking agitated
the front door, and Scipio hurried to announce that a caller--a
Mr. Basket--desired to see her on important business.

"Mr. Basket?" she echoed apprehensively, and made at once for the
parlour, where she found her visitor mopping his brow. Despite the
heat, he was pale. In his left hand he held a letter.

"You will pardon me," he began in a flutter. "Am I addressing Miss
Martha Hymen?"

"You are, sir." Miss Marty clasped her hands in alarm at his
demeanour. "Oh, tell me what has happened!"

"All the way from Plymouth on purpose," answered Mr. Basket.
"Most mysterious occurrence . . . ate a good dinner and retired to
his room apparently in the best of health and spirits. On our return
from the theatre he was gone."

"Gone?"

"Disappeared, vanished! We searched the house. His watch and
pocket-book lay on the bed, together with a certain amount of
loose change. His wig, too . . . you were aware?"

"I have gone so far as to suspect it. But what dreadful news is
this? Disappeared? Leaving no clue?"

"We are in hopes, my wife and I, that this may afford a clue.
A letter, and addressed to you; it lay upon his writing-table.
We did not feel ourselves at liberty to break the seal. I trust--I
sincerely trust--it may put a period to our suspense."

Miss Marty took the letter, glanced at the address and tore the paper
open with trembling h