way, would you have the goodness to change
this ten-pound note for French gold? It will
be so much more handy."

"Most assuredly. Here it is."

"A thousand thanks. Good night. I wish
you all a very good night."

He left the room with a most graceful bow,
without a blush on his face or a falter on his
tongue. He was gone. We looked at each other
for a while in silence.

" Well, I never!" Miss Greenwood at last
exclaimed.

"Nor I, exactly," rejoined her father.

"I suppose I have had a narrow escape from
having the worth of my signature tested," the
young epicurean quietly observed.

"But tell us," said Mr. Greenwood, "how
you came to find out this gentleman's real
character and avocations. It was not all
chiromancy—eh?"

"Well, the facts are these. I had heard
rumours at Thun. The Sunday evening I spent at
Wimmis waiting for your arrival, I was alone.
The showery weather kept me in-doors. No
doubt you have been haunted by the ghost of
a tune; that evening I was haunted by God
Save the Queen. It would never finish. Just
as the first strain was over for the twentieth
time, and it was the second strain's turn to come
on— Make her victorious, Happy and glorious
— I heard it taken up by a chorus of voices
without. Was it the force of imagination? I
opened the window. No, it was not. At the
foot of the Niesen, God Save the Queen is a
popular air. When the chorus had died away, I
left the window open, to enjoy the rushing sound
of the Simme's waters and the wind whispering
among the fir-trees. My thoughts were running
on anything rather than Mr. Percy Howard's
concerns, when grave voices in solemn debate
rose from immediately beneath the window. I
looked, and there was the Council of Village
Notables assembled, standing in the open air in
decorous order, in spite of the rain. One of the
leaders was the landlord of the inn. Amongst
other things, they discussed the expected
presence of, and the measures to be taken with
respect to, a suspicious stranger, who could be
no other than our departed friend. After the
meeting had broken up, the subject was resumed
in the public room. The landlord advised
forbearance and the avoidance of making any fuss,
whilst another excited advocate for the purging
Switzerland of all scum whatsoever, broke
wine-glass after wine-glass by thumping them on
the table to enforce his arguments. Between
the two, I heard enough to remove from my
mind all doubt or uncertainty. You Iwve
witnessed the sequel, and how chiromancy helped
me to bring about the dénouement."

"And so the two men who acted as our guides
are defectives on the track of our accomplished
friend?"

"They are honest, simple, hard-working
peasants, and no more policemen than you or I. It
was a sudden idea of mine to invest them with
that character, and you have seen the effect of
a guilty conscience."

"But tell me now, seriously, Carter. Do you
really believe in chiromancy ?"

"I don't know enough about it to believe it.
Without chiromancy, it is possible to form some
opinion of the persons who cross our path. But
you see at least that it is capable of furnishing
a formidable weapon to artful persons. If it
could but give me the hand of her I love, that
is all I wish or care for."

Mr. Greenwood opened his eyes, and kept
silence—- the best move a man can make on many
occasions. Perhaps he did not understand, I
thought; or, understanding, was his silence
consent?

I believe we all slept sweetly and soundly in
that lone wooden inn on the top of the Niesen.
We had agreed not to ask the sunrise to wait
for us to witness it. We breakfasted together;
took a last lingering look at the wondrous
landscape spread around us; and then wended
our way downwards. Aloft, was the silence
of the wilderness; in descending, rural sounds
again met our ears. There was the tinkling
of bells worn by cows and goats, like distant
village-peals ringing changes. The rush of
waters and the rustling of leaves were once more
audible.

On reaching the base of the mountain, Maria
alighted from her horse. Taking her father's
arm on one side and mine on the other, she said
to him, "I have become acquainted with a secret,
which ought not to remain a secret between us
three. Mr. Carter and I am engaged, if we can
only obtain your permission. Won't you let me
have my own way, just for this once? Yes, dear
father, I am sure you will."

Instead of looking immensely astonished, Mr.
Greenwood kissed his daughter affectionately,
and gave me a hearty shake of the hand.

==============================================

Early in December will be published, stitched in a cover,
                                price Fourpence,

                              MUGBY JUNCTION.

                  THE EXTRA DOUBLE NUMBER FOR
                                   CHRISTMAS,

    which will contain, in addition to other STORIES to be
                              announced shortly,