"That you wanted her to run away with you. Oh, yes, we arl know _that_, and now you are coming to say good-bye, and thank you very much, before you go to England." "Oh, he is not going to England!" screamed Dominga, seizing him by the arm, whilst her face assumed a sudden pallor, and her nostrils quivered nervously. "Yes, he is; he goes in the _Persia_, on the fourth," said her mother. "Is it not so?" and she flashed on him a look of fury. Jimmy nodded his head emphatically, and Dominga broke into a wailing cry. "Well, now I will speak plainly; before you go," said Mrs. Chandos, "you shall marry Dominga, and take her with you." "Oh, impossible! nonsense!" protested her visitor, in an angry voice. "No, no; not at all im-possible. You do many bad things; you pretend to every one you don't know my daughter, at all; you come out here on the sly, sly--all Manora saw you; you make love, but you do _not_ break her heart and then leave her. You marry her, then you go!" "But my good lady----" he interrupted. "Cho-op!" she screamed, "see, now, I give you your choice; you take her--or you take--_me_!" "What? you are mad--raving!" "Yes; me, me, me," indicating herself with three sharp finger taps; "I am not poor, and I follow you all over the world, and I punish you. First, I tell the station; then I go to the orderly room and tell the Colonel; next, I write to your father! See, look, I swear it. I, too, take passage in _Persia_--sit at your table; every now and then I call 'Rascal! rascal! rascal!' So, too, in England; I follow in the street; I point, and cry 'Rascal, rascal, rascal!'" "The police----" he began. "Police take me up--arl-right. Say she is crazy! I go to court, I tell all the story--what fun for the newspapers, and all the world will know, and they will laugh, laugh, laugh, and cry shame. This I do, if it cost my life, and my money. Whatever I want I get. You ask! my husband could tell you--what I will happens; ask my mother and Dominga. I always come out what you call 'top dog!' So now you speak, and say which you take in the _Persia_--Dominga or me?" Her black gown had the effect of making Mrs. Chandos look judicial and almost diabolical. She spoke rapidly, but with complete self-possession, only that a light in her eyes flickered like the flame of a candle. Poor Jimmy was completely dominated by this fierce little iron-willed half-caste. Her victim felt instinctively that she would surely carry out her threat, and be as bad as her word. Well, after all, why should he not marry Dom? The present moment was critical--the future--was the future. He was immensely fond of Dom. She was handsome, dashing and clever, and adored him. Away from Manora she would be quite a striking personality. It was her background--for instance, this devilish mother of hers--which played the mischief.