young man who lives with you he whom we seek?"

Now I thought for a second, though that second seemed like a year. All
doubt had left me, there was no room for it. Ralph and no other was the
man, and on my answer might hang his future. But I had argued the thing
out before and made up my mind to lie, though, so far as I know, it is
the only lie I ever told, and I am not a woman who often changes her
mind. Therefore I lied.

"It is not he," I said, "though for his sake I might wish that it were,
and this I can prove to you."

Now, when I had told this great falsehood, prompted to it by my love for
the lad and my love for Suzanne, his affianced wife, my mind grew as it
were empty for a moment, and I remember that in the emptiness I seemed
to hear a sound of laughter echoing in the air somewhere above the roof
of the house. Very swiftly I recovered myself, and looking at the men
I saw that my words rejoiced them, except the interpreter indeed, who
being a paid servant coming from far away, from the neighbourhood of
Capetown I believe, had no interest in the matter one way or the other
beyond that of earning his money with as little trouble as possible.
Yes, they smiled at each other, looking as though a great weight had
been lifted off their minds, till presently the lawyer checked himself
and said:

"Be so good as to set out the proofs of which you speak, Vrouw Botmar."

"I will," I answered, "but tell me first, the ship _India_ was wrecked
in the year 1824, was she not?"