captain's rooms. I knocked. He called to me to enter and I stood
in his study, facing him. He was a tall handsome man, fair-haired,
mustached--the very figure that you, my lady, in your
boarding-school days, would have wished him to be. His manner, I
am bound to admit, was not cordial.

"Captain," I began, "I am very sorry to intrude--" It wasn't the
thing to say, of course, but I was fussed. "However, I happen to
be a neighbor of yours, and I have here a letter of introduction
from your cousin, Archibald Enwright. I met him in Interlaken and
we became very good friends."

"Indeed!" said the captain.

He held out his hand for the letter, as though it were evidence at
a court-martial. I passed it over, wishing I hadn't come. He read
it through. It was a long letter, considering its nature. While I
waited, standing by his desk--he hadn't asked me to sit down--I
looked about the room. It was much like my own study, only I think
a little dustier. Being on the third floor it was farther from the
garden, consequently Walters reached there seldom.

The captain turned back and began to read the letter again. This
was decidedly embarrassing. Glancing down, I happened to see on
his desk an odd knife, which I fancy he had brought from India.
The blade was of steel, dangerously sharp, the hilt of gold, carved
to represent some heathen figure.

Then the captain looked up from Archie's letter and his cold gaze
fell full upon me.