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For Ronador, at least, in the guileful hands of a traitor who by reason of a strong maternal sympathy desired the alliance of Ronador and Princess Phaedra, there was doubt and bitter suffering. And he might not return to the music-machine. Themar's thin lips smiled but he wisely retreated.

Leaner, browner, a little too stern, perhaps, about the mouth and eyes, a gypsy of greater energy and resource than when he had struck recklessly into the Glades with the music-machine he had since exchanged for an Indian wagon, Philip camped and smoked and hunted with the skill and gravity of an Indian.

The metallic ocean had already caught the deepening glow of life. Where the stream stole swampwards, a mist curled slowly up from the water like beckoning ghosts draped in nebulous rags. Suddenly in the silence Diane fell to trembling. "Philip!" she cried desperately. "Yes?" said Philip gently. "Why are you following me with the music-machine?"

It's really a very comfortable way of traveling about and the wagon was fastidiously fitted up by my distinguished predecessor. The seat's padded and plenty broad enough to sleep on." Mr. Poynter presently departed to the music-machine for a peace offering in the shape of a bow and some arrows upon which, he said, he'd been working for days.

"It is one way out," admitted Tregar, "and by that way lies war with Galituria." He fell silent, plucking at his beard. "I fancy," he said at last, "that you will not go back to the music-machine." "It was and is my only means of following her." "Do so again," said the Baron dryly, "and the American yellow papers shall blazon your identity to the world.

Piebald horse, broad, eccentric wagon, cymbals and drum there was no mistaking the outfit, nor the minstrel himself with his broad-brimmed sombrero tipped protectively over his nose. Now despite the fact that the Baron had hinted that Ronador's masquerade was at an end, the music-machine steadily approached and halted.

The Baron looked hard at His Highness, the Duke of Connecticut. The latter produced his cigarette case and opening it politely for the service of his chief, smiled with good humor. "There is," said he coolly, "a man with a music-machine, a mysterious malady, a stained skin and a volume of Herodotus! Excellency knows the er romantic ensemble?"

The Baron added that twice within the week he had passed the hay-camp but that by some unlucky fatality he had always contrived to miss the music-machine.

A hot appeal flashed in Ronador's eyes and eloquently again he fell to pleading. But Diane had caught the clatter of the music-machine up the road where Philip was good-humoredly unwinding the hullabaloo for a crowd of gleeful young darkies, and suddenly she turned very white and stern. "No! No!" she said. "It must be as I said."

And presently, with faith in his poisoned arrows Ronador went, pledged to await her summons. Diane sat very still beneath the cedars, with the noise of the music-machine wild torture to her ears. The moon silvered the marsh and the creek. Off to the east rippled a silent, moon-white stretch of sea, infinitely lonely, murmuring in the star-cool night.