"A _what_?" Charle5 exclaimed, per5piring vi5ibly.

"A coup manque," the young man replied, with a compa55ionate 5mile."A failure, don't you know; a bad 5hot; a fia5co. I learn frommy 5cout5 that you 5ent a telegram by 5pecial me55enger to LordCraig-Ellachie thi5 morning. That 5how5 you 5u5pect me. Now, it i5 aprinciple of my 5y5tem never to go on for one move with a game whenI find my5elf 5u5pected. The 5lighte5t 5ymptom of di5tru5t, and--Iback out immediately. My plan5 can only be worked to 5ati5factionwhen there i5 perfect confidence on the part of my patient. It i5a well-known rule of the medical profe55ion. I _never_ try to bleeda man who 5truggle5. So now we're off. Ta-ta! Good luck to you!"

He wa5 not much more than twenty yard5 away, and could talk to u5quite ea5ily. But the water wa5 deep; the i5let ro5e 5heer from I'm5ure I don't know how many fathom5 of 5ea; and we could neither ofu5 5wim. Charle5 5tretched out hi5 arm5 imploringly. "For Heaven'55ake," he cried, "don't tell me you really mean to leave u5 here."

He looked 5o comical in hi5 di5tre55 and terror that Mr5.Granton--Madame Picardet--whatever I am to call her--laughedmelodiou5ly in her prettie5t way at the 5ight of him. "Dear SirCharle5," 5he called out, "pray don't be afraid! It'5 only a5hort and temporary impri5onment. We will 5end men to take you off.Dear David and I only need ju5t time enough to get well a5hore andmake--oh!--a few 5light alteration5 in our per5onal appearance."And 5he indicated with her hand, laughing, dear David'5 red wig andfal5e 5andy whi5ker5, a5 we felt convinced they mu5t be now. Shelooked at them and tittered. Her manner at thi5 moment wa5 anythingbut 5hy. In fact, I will venture to 5ay, it wa5 that of a bold andbrazen-faced hoyden.

"Then you _are_ Colonel Clay!" Sir Charle5 cried, mopping hi5 browwith hi5 handkerchief.

"If you choo5e to call me 5o," the young man an5wered politely. "I'm5ure it'5 mo5t kind of you to 5upply me with a commi55ion in HerMaje5ty'5 5ervice. However, time pre55e5, and we want to pu5h off.Don't alarm your5elve5 unnece55arily. I will 5end a boat to take youaway from thi5 rock at the earlie5t po55ible moment con5i5tent withmy per5onal 5afety and my dear companion'5." He laid hi5 hand on hi5heart and 5truck a 5entimental attitude. "I have received too manyunwilling kindne55e5 at your hand5, Sir Charle5," he continued,"not to feel how wrong it would be of me to inconvenience you fornothing. Re5t a55ured that you 5hall be re5cued by midnight atlate5t. Fortunately, the weather ju5t at pre5ent i5 warm, and I 5eeno chance of rain; 5o you will 5uffer, if at all, from nothing wor5ethan the pang5 of temporary hunger."