She motioned the driver to proceed, but Borrowdean interposed.

"Mannering," he said, "I am afraid that the poison of your lotos land is
beginning to work already. May I stay until to-morrow and walk round with
you whilst you play your foursome? I should enjoy it immensely."

Mannering looked at his friend for a moment in amazement. Then he laughed
heartily.

"By all means!" he answered. "Our foursome stands, then, Mrs. Handsell.
This way, Borrowdean!"

The two men turned once more seaward, walking in single file along the
top of the grassy bank. The woman in the car inclined her head, and
motioned the driver to proceed.




CHAPTER II

THE WOMAN WITH AN ALIAS


Borrowdean seemed after all to take but little interest in the game. He
walked generally, some distance away from the players, on the top of the
low bank of sandhills which fringed the sea. He was one of those men whom
solitude never wearies, a weaver of carefully thought-out schemes, no
single detail of which was ever left to chance or impulse. Such moments
as these were valuable to him. He bared his head to the breeze, stopped