in every way as he knew he was obnoxious to them. But they
had been forced to accept him because, so they supposed, he
had them at the mercy of his own pleasure. He knew their
secret, and in the legitimate pursuit of his profession he
could, if he chose, inform the island of Messina, with the
rest of the world, of their intention toward it, and bring
their expedition to an end, though he had chosen, as a reward
for his silence, to become one of themselves. Only the
Countess Zara had guessed the truth, that it was Gordon
himself who was at their mercy, and that so long as the
American girl persisted in casting her fortunes with them her
old young friend was only too eager to make any arrangement
with them that would keep him at her side.

It was a perplexing position, and Gordon turned it over and
over in his mind. Had it not been that Miss Carson had a part
in it he would have enjoyed the adventure, as an adventure,
keenly. He had no objections to fighting on the side of
rascals, or against rascals. He objected to them only in the
calmer moments of private life; and as he was of course
ignorant that the expedition was only a make-believe, he felt
a certain respect for his fellow-conspirators as men who were
willing to stake their lives for a chance of better fortune.
But that their bravery was of the kind which would make them
hesitate to rob and deceive a helpless girl he very much
doubted; for he knew that even the bravest of warriors on
their way to battle will requisition a herd of cattle or stop
to loot a temple. The day before, Gordon had witnessed the
brief ceremony which attended the presentation of the young
noblemen from Paris who had volunteered for the expedition in