The minutes crawled by on leaden feet. When she returned from feeding her poultry she was absolutely aghast to hear the church clock only striking ten! It seemed to her that a whole eternity of time had elapsed since the moment when the delivery of the morning post, destitute of news from Brett, had plunged her into this dreadful agony of uncertainty. Suddenly she heard the gate click. She had been unconsciously listening for that sound with an intensity of which she was unaware--expecting, hoping, almost praying for tidings of some kind. Surely, if he did not come himself, Brett would at least send her a message of some sort! When at last the click and rattle of the wooden gate, as it swung to, smote on her ears, she felt powerless to go and meet whoever it might be whose coming the sound heralded. A curious numbness pervaded all her limbs, and she leaned against the table, almost holding her breath, while the measured tread of Maria's sturdy feet resounded along the passage leading from the kitchen to the front of the house. Ann heard the opening of the cottage door, followed by the soft murmur of women's voices instead of by the high treble of the telegraph boy which she had expected. Then the swish of a skirt, the lifting of a latch, and Cara came quickly into the room. The tension of Ann's nerves relaxed, giving place to a spiritless acceptance of the inevitable. There was no message from Brett, after all! It was only Cara--Cara who had come to ask the success or failure of her last night's interview with him. The irony of it! Ann began to speak at once, anticipating the first question which she knew the other would be sure to put. It would be better to get it over at once. "I didn't go to the yacht," she said baldly. "Brett wired me not to come." Cara nodded. "I know. But I went," she answered quietly. "You?" Ann stared at her. "You went--to the yacht!" she repeated in tones of stupefaction. "Yes. And I got what I wanted. These are the bills which Tony gave to Brett--and there's a note for you, as well," she added with a fugitive smile. She slid the whole packet on to the table, and Ann picked up one of the stamped oblong slips of paper and examined it with a curious sense of detachment. "'Bill or note.'" She read aloud the words which crowned and footed the Government stamp. Then she laid the bill back on the top of the others. "But I don't understand," she said. "How did--you--get these!" "Sit down, and I'll tell you," replied Cara.