fool of me by asking me riddles?"

Now, Ralph was about to answer, but Suzanne held up her hand, and he was
quiet.

"My son," went on Jan with a kind of sob, "they are coming to take you
away from us."

"They! Who?" asked Ralph.

"Who? The English, damn them! Yes, I say, damn the English and the
English Government."

"Peace, Jan," I broke in, "this is not a political meeting, where such
talk is right and proper."

"The English Government is coming to take me away!" exclaimed Ralph
bewildered. "What has the Government to do with me?"

"No," said Jan, "not the English Government, but two Scotchmen, which is
much the same thing. I tell you that they are travelling to this place
to take you away."

Now, Ralph leaned back in his chair and stared at him, for he saw that
it was little use to ask him questions, and that he must leave him to
tell the tale in his own fashion. At last it came out.

"Ralph," said my husband, "you know that you are not of our blood; we
found you cast up on the beach like a storm-fish and took you in, and
you grew dear to us; yes, although you are English or Scotch, which is