bright amber eyes, her beautiful lips closed, and gently inhaling through her nostrils. What an amazing creature she was! He would sit and watch her in the house, entranced, oblivious of time or destiny. He wished Mrs. Dainopoulos could know of his happiness. He never suspected that when Mrs. Dainopoulos at length heard of this episode, it was expressed in a single shrug of the shoulders and a faint vanishing smile. The song ended with a tinkle: "_Oh, I ken John Peel, from my bed where I lay, As he passed with his hounds in the morning!_" and there was a murmur of applause. Mr. Spokesly, looking out into the darkness, clapped and lit another cigarette. He was startled by a great crash of chords. The young man, a cigar in his teeth, his head enveloped in a blue cloud of smoke, was seated at the piano. Mr. Spokesly turned and watched him. Mr. Marsh came over to the window, smiling. "D'you do anything?" he asked. "We should be delighted, you know, if you would. It relieves the tension, don't you think?" "Not in my line, I'm afraid," said Mr. Spokesly. "I never had any accomplishments." He stood listening to the full, rounded, clangorous voice, toned down to Heine's beautiful words: "_Die Luft ist kühl und dunkelt, Und ruhig fliesst der Rhein, Der Gipfel des Berges funkelt Im Abend Sonnenschein._" "Wonderful voice," whispered Mr. Marsh. "Studied at Leipzig. Rather a talented chap, don't you think? By the way, I heard to-night they intend making an inspection of the outer harbour while they are here. Improving the defences. They don't want any more ships to come in the way you did. Of course it was luck as well as pluck. Probably lay fresh mines." "Is that a fact?" asked Mr. Spokesly. As in a dream he heard the applause, himself clapping mechanically and then the booming of bass chords. And a voice like a silver trumpet, triumphant and vibrating, blared out the deathless call of the lover to his beloved: "_Isolde! Geliebte! Bist du mein? Hab ich dich wieder?_" "Well it's pretty reliable. A friend of mine who is in the timber trade--got a saw mill up at Menenen and uses horses--has been given a contract to bring down a lot of stones to the harbour. Fill all those lighters, you know. That'll mean quite a lot of work for you, eh?"