Once more the vast crowd of London surges in the streets,—a happy, joyous, good-humoured crowd nevertheless. Every house is gay with bunting and flags, and triumphal arches are in every street through which the procession will pass along. What procession? Why, is not this the day upon which Gloria de Lara is to reach our shores, and is she not to be welcomed back and publicly honoured in the great Hall of Liberty, where, when last she stood, she was a condemned and hunted felon? The yacht _Eilean_ has gone to meet her. It has joined the _Colossus_, in which Gloria has made her passage from South America at the mouth of the Thames. The party on board the _Eilean_ consists solely of Speranza de Lara, Flora Desmond, and her child, a fine girl of seven years, together with Evie Ravensdale, Estcourt, Léonie, and Rita Vernon. All, with the exception of Speranza, wear the white gold-braided uniform of the White Guards’ Regiment of the Women Volunteers, an organisation which a Royal Proclamation has called back to life. The _Colossus_ has yielded up its precious charge. As the cutter bears Gloria de Lara away from the great war monster’s side towards the white, graceful _Eilean_ that awaits her, the cannon belch forth their parting salute and welcome in one breath. There, standing on the deck ready to grasp her hand in a deep and loving tenderness, with heartfelt gratitude for her wonderful deliverance, stand the two beings whom she loves most in the world, Speranza de Lara and Evie Ravensdale. What human words could describe that meeting, for they thought her dead, and behold she is there in living life? Tilbury Docks are reached; the roar of distant cannon announce her arrival. There she stands on the yacht’s bridge with Evie Ravensdale by her side. As the crowd sways to and fro to catch a glimpse of her, the people see that she wears the White Guards’ Uniform. The regiment is there to meet and welcome her. As she leaves the yacht, its band strikes up the beautiful march “Triumphant,” the same which had welcomed her to the Hall of Liberty, when, as Hector D’Estrange, she had performed the opening ceremony. The milk-white steed which she had ridden on that occasion now awaits her in its trappings of white-and-gold. Never has horse been so groomed and petted as this one. In sight of the crowd she bids her mother a courteous and tender farewell, for Speranza has elected to drive straight to Montragee House, there to await her child’s return. A brilliant mounted throng await the former’s coming; many well-known faces are there, amongst which Gloria catches sight of those of Lady Manderton and Launcelot Trevor.