"You won't forget--the Alhambra you know--best shop in London--lace veils cheaper than----address will always find me--Piccadilly Circus, on----cheap hotel; just off--Margate's the jolliest--Oh! the devil take the--nicest girl you ever--set foot on shore," and so on, until Ronald, who stood by Carmela, could not help laughing. The Marchese was looking after his own things, and as Ronald had his luggage in perfect order, he had Carmela all to himself. "So this is the Thames," he said, looking at the dull, leaden stream, flowing between the dingy banks. "The Thames of commerce, not of poetry," she corrected, smiling, "you must come down to Marlow and see the real river." "May I?" he asked, eagerly, thinking he detected an invitation in her tones. "Of course you may," she answered, carelessly. "I don't control your movements." "Not at present, but you might," he replied, hurriedly. There was an awkward pause, luckily broken by Pat, who came rushing along with his usual impetuosity. "Ah Miss Cotoner, an' is that you?" said Pat, dolefully; "the best of friends must part, and we may niver meet again." "We might," answered Carmela, with a laugh; "the world is small." "Begad, I wish me heart was," said Ryan, sadly; "it's large enough to hold all the girls on board--you included." "Much obliged," retorted the young lady, with a bow, not in the least offended, for Pat was a licensed Jester; "but I'll not consent to be one of many." "Ye'd rayther have one honest heart?" asked Pat, looking keenly at her. She turned his remark off with a laugh. "Depends upon the owner of the heart," she replied, gaily. "Ah begad thin I'm out of it," said Pat, and ran off, leaving them in exactly the same awkward situation as he found them. "What are you going to do when you reach London?" asked Carmela after a pause, during which Ronald kept his eyes on her face. "Many things," he answered, calmly; "first I am going to set to work to find out who killed my friend Ventin." "I'm sure I hope you will be successful," she replied, heartily; "but why in London--the crime was committed at Malta?" "Yes, but the motive for the crime will, I think, be found in London." "They say a woman killed him." "I think so, but it is purely theoretical." "I dare say; for what motive could any woman have for such a crime?" "Do you think a woman always requires a motive?" She looked at him in surprise. "Certainly I do; there can be no cause without an effect." "In some cases yes," he replied, gravely; "in this case I believe the woman had no motive in committing the crime." "Then why did she do it?" asked Carmela, looking at him. "That is what I have to find out," he answered, and so the conversation ended. It was one o'clock when the steamer got into St. Katherine's Docks, and on the shore crowds of people were waiting to meet their friends. No one, however, came to meet Pat and Ronald, so their mutual sense of loneliness drew them yet closer together.