ddling with his time, sister."

"I meddle now," snapped Chaldea, and walked away in her usual free and
graceful manner. Kara shrugged his shoulders and then took refuge in
talking to his violin, to which he related his doubts of the girl's
truth. And he smiled grimly, as he thought of the recovered knife which
was again snugly hidden under his weather-worn green coat.

Chaldea, who did not stand on ceremony, walked to the end of the camp
without paying any attention to the excited gypsies, and flung back the
flap of the old woman's tent. Mother Cockleshell was not within, as she
had given the use of her abode to Pine and his visitor. This latter was
a small, neat man with a smooth, boyish face and reddish hair. He had
the innocent expression of a fox-terrier, and rather resembled one. He
was neatly and inoffensively dressed in blue serge, and although he did
not look exactly like a gentleman, he would have passed for one in a
crowd. When Chaldea made her abrupt entrance he was talking volubly to
Pine, and the millionaire addressed him--when he answered--as Silver.
Chaldea, remembering the conversation she had overheard between Pine and
Miss Greeby, speedily reached the conclusion that the neat little man
was the secretary referred to therein. Probably he had come to report
about Lady Agnes.

"What is it, sister?" demanded Pine sharply, and making a sign that
Silver should stop talking.

"Does the camp travel to-morrow, brother?"

"Perhaps, yes," retorted Pine abruptly.

"And perhaps no, brother, if you use your power."

Silver raised his faint eyebrows and looked questioningly at his
employer, as if to ask what this cryptic sentence meant. Pine knew only
too well, since Chaldea had impressed him thoroughly with the fact that
she had overheard many of his secrets. Therefore he did not waste time
in argument, but nodded quietly. "Sleep in peace, sister. The camp shall
stay, if you wish it."

"I do wish it!" She glanced at Silver and changed her speech to Romany.
"The ring will be here," tapping her finger, "in one week if we stay."

"So be it, sister," replied Pine, also in Romany, and with a gleam of
satisfaction in his dark eyes. "Go now and return when this Gentile
goes. What of the golden Gorgious one?"

"He seeks Lundra this night."

"For the ring, sister?"

Chaldea looked hard at him. "For the ring" she said abruptly, then
dropping the tent-flap which she had held all the time, she disappeared.

Silv