small blame to her or to her relations, whichever it may be, especially
as I understand that she has a better alliance in view. Certainly her
decision has simplified matters," and he rose and walked to the other
end of the room.

"Shocking business," whispered Higgs; "been infamously treated," and
he proceeded to express his opinion of the lady concerned, of her
relatives, and of the late Anthony Orme, shipowner, in language that,
if printed, would render this history unfit for family reading. The
outspokenness of Professor Higgs is well known in the antiquarian world,
so there is no need for me to enlarge upon it.

"What I do not exactly understand, Adams," he added in a loud voice,
seeing that Orme had turned again, "and what I think we should both like
to know, is _your_ exact object in making these proposals."

"I am afraid I have explained myself badly. I thought I had made it
clear that I have only one object--to attempt the rescue of my son,
if he still lives, as I believe he does. Higgs, put yourself in my
position. Imagine yourself with nothing and no one left to care for
except a single child, and that child stolen away from you by savages.
Imagine yourself, after years of search, hearing his very voice, seeing
his very face, adult now, but the same, the thing you had dreamed of and
desired for years; that for which you would have given a thousand lives
if you could have had time to think. And then the rush of the howling,
fantastic mob, the breakdown of courage, of love, of everything that
is noble under the pressure of primæval instinct, which has but one
song--Save your life. Lastly, imagine this coward saved, dwelling within
a few miles of the son whom he had deserted, and yet utterly unable to
rescue or even to communicate with him because of the poltroonery of