Louison, as she demurely held up her jeweled watch. "Ten minutes
more, and then, Sir, I shall give you your ordre de route. For,
I must go quietly. I trust to your experience and good judgment.
There is nothing to say here. There will be no letters. My bankers
have their orders. You must simply pay our bill, and depart quietly
via Geneva. May I ask if you wish any more money? Some personal
needs?"

Major Hawke shook his head. "You may rely on me to meet you, and to
faithfully obey you," he gravely said. There were unspoken words
trembling on his lips, which he fain would have uttered. "By
Heavens! She is a witch!" he murmured, in a repressed excitement,
as he walked quietly down the hallway to keep his tryst with Casimir
Wieniawski. For Berthe Louison had at once divined the cause of
his unrest.

"You think that I should tell you more? Why should I tell you
anything? We are strangers yet, not even friends. You may divine
that I trust no man. I have had my own sad lessons of life-lessons
learned in bitterness and tears. I go out to your burning jungle
land, with neither hope to allure, nor fear to repel. The whole
world is the same to me. That I have a purpose, I admit; and even
you may know me better by and bye! Till then, no professions, no
promises, no pledges. I use you for my own selfish purposes, that
is all; and you can frankly study your own self-interest. We are
two clay jars swept along down the Ganges of life. For a few threads
of the dark river's current, we travel on, side by side! You have
frankly taken me at my word! I have taken you at yours! There
is a written order to settle my affairs and remove my luggage. Of
course, should you meet with any accident, telegraph to the Vittorio