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Barbara Harding found De Cadenet an interesting man. There was no corner of

the globe however remote with which he was not to some degree familiar. He was

well read, and possessed the ability to discuss what he had read intelligently and

entertainingly. There was no evidence of moodiness in him now. He was the

personification of affability, for was he not monopolizing the society of a very

beautiful, and very wealthy young lady?

The day's outing had two significant results. It put into the head of the second

mate of the Halfmoon that which would have caused his skipper and the retiring

Mr. Divine acute mental perturbation could they have guessed it; and it put De

Cadenet into possession of information which necessitated his refusing the

urgent invitation to dine upon the yacht, Lotus, that evening--the information

that the party would sail the following morning en route to Manila.

"I cannot tell you," he said to Mr. Harding, "how much I regret the circumstance

that must rob me of the pleasure of accepting your invitation. Only absolute

necessity, I assure you, could prevent me being with you as long as possible," and

though he spoke to the girl's father he looked directly into the eyes of Barbara

Harding.

A young woman of less experience might have given some outward indication of

the effect of this speech upon her, but whether she was pleased or otherwise the

Count de Cadenet could not guess, for she merely voiced the smiling regrets that

courtesy demanded.

They left De Cadenet at his hotel, and as he bid them farewell the man turned to

Barbara Harding with a low aside.

I shall see you again, Miss Harding," he said, "very, very soon."

She could not guess what was in his mind as he voiced this rather, under the

circumstances, unusual statement. Could she have, the girl would have been

terror-stricken; but she saw that in his eyes which she could translate, and she

wondered many times that evening whether she were pleased or angry with the

message it conveyed.

The moment De Cadenet entered the hotel he hurried to the room where the

impatient Mr. Ward awaited him.

Quick!" he cried. "We must bundle out of here posthaste. They sail tomorrow

morning. Your duties as valet have been light and short-lived; but I can give you

an excellent recommendation should you desire to take service with another

gentleman."

The Mucker