love. Like most men of his age he had had affairs of varying
seriousness, which in due time had run their course and died a
natural death. But this, he felt, was different. At last he
believed he had met the one woman, and the idea thrilled him with
awe and exultation, and filled his mind to the exclusion of all else.

Hilliard's preoccupation was different. He was considering in
detail his idea that if a close enough watch could be kept on the
loading of the syndicate's ship it would at least settle the
smuggling question. He did not think that any article could be
shipped in sufficient bulk to make the trade pay, unnoticed by a
skilfully concealed observer. Even if the commodity were a liquid
- brandy, for example - sent aboard through a flexible pipe, the
thing would be seen.

But two unexpected difficulties had arisen since last night. Firstly,
they had made friends with the Coburns. Excursions with them were
in contemplation, and one had actually been arranged for that very
day. While in the neighborhood they had been asked virtually to make
the manager's house their headquarters, and it was evidently expected
that the two parties should see a good deal of each other. Under
these circumstances how were the friends to get away to watch the
loading of the boat?

And then it occurred to Hilliard that here, perhaps, was evidence of
design; that this very difficulty had been deliberately caused by Mr.
Coburn with the object of keeping himself and Merriman under
observation and rendering them harmless. This, he recognized, was
guesswork, but still it might be the truth.