journeyed to England to put the matter in the hands of these lawyers and
were now returning to the island with a representative of the firm, who
was coming out to stand guard, so to speak. Von Blitz, the German
superintendent, was the master mind in the native contingent. It was he
who planned and developed the course of action. The absent committee was
composed of Ben Adi, Abdallah Ben Sabbat and Rasula, the Aratat lawyer.
They were truly wise men from the East--old, shrewd, crafty and begotten
of Mahomet.

The mines continued to be operated as usual, pending the arrival of the
executors' representative, who, as we know, was now on the ground in the
person of Thomas Saunders. The fact that he also served as legal adviser
to Lady Deppingham was not of sufficient moment to disturb the
arrangements on either side. Every one realised that he could have no
opportunity to exercise a prejudice, if he dared to have one. Saunders
blinked his eyes nervously when Bowles made this pointed observation.

As for the American heir, Robert Browne, he had not yet arrived. He was
coming by steamer from the west, according to report, and was probably
on the _Boswell_, Sumatra to Madagascar, due off Aratat in two or three
days. Mr. Bowles jocosely inferred that it should be a very happy family
at the château, with the English and American heirs ever ready to heave
things at one another, regardless of propriety or the glassware.

"The islanders," said Mr. Bowles, lighting a cigarette, "it looks to me,
have all the best of the situation. They get the property whether they
marry or not, while the original beneficiaries have to marry each other
or get off the island at the end of the year. Most of the islanders have
got three or four wives already. I daresay the legators took that into
consideration when they devised the will. Von Blitz, the German, has