his left hand and speaking in _English_ to a boy who scampered up to
him ahead of four beautiful girls and a very dignified woman moving
leisurely over the lawn in the direction of the gate.

"When the women reached the man's side they paused for a moment and
asked a few questions in _Russian_. He seemed to be listening very
attentively and answering only in monosyllables.

"Then I noticed the elder of the women unfold a well-known London
newspaper and move closer to his side. They began glancing over its
pages together and seemed to be deeply moved by an article they,
apparently, were reading as they walked slowly toward the gate.
Finally, when they were about ten feet from where I stood concealed
behind one of the massive palms, the man raised his head from the page
and, looking earnestly into the woman's eyes, exclaimed in a skeptical
tone: '_Il n'aurait jamais cru le fait si ces messieurs n'avaient
pu lui jurer L'avoir vu!... Tout ce que j'ai prédit!... Les faux
nobles,--les plagiaires_!' which means in English, "He couldn't have
believed the thing unless these gentlemen had sworn they witnessed
it!... All that I predicted!... The sham nobles!... the stealing
authors!" The comment set me thinking.

"Who _is_ he? I asked myself. Inside of five minutes I had heard him
speak in English, in Russian and in French! I am certain that he is
not a Frenchman,--although his accent would have proclaimed him a
native of the Avenue des Champs Elysées. He had a Danish countenance,
the eyes of English Royalty and the forehead of an early Christian
martyr.

"No one I have talked to on the island seems certain of his identity.