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Rh Eardsley. I've never actually met him until this trip. He journeys to and from Africa a good deal. There's a general idea that he does Secret Service work. I don't know whether it's true or not. He's certainly rather a mysterious creature."

"I suppose he came into a lot of money as Sir Laurence Eardsley's heir?"

"My dear Anne, he must be rolling. You know, he'd be a splendid match for you."

"I can't have a good go at him with you aboard the ship," I said, laughing. "Oh, these married women!"

"We do have a pull," murmured Suzanne complacently. "And everybody knows that I am absolutely devoted to Clarence—my husband, you know. It's so safe and pleasant to make love to a devoted wife."

"It must be very nice for Clarence to be married to some one like you."

"Well, I'm wearing to live with! Still, he can always escape to the Foreign Office, where he fixes his eyeglass in his eye, and goes to sleep in a big arm-chair. We might cable him to tell us all he knows about Race. I love sending cables. And they annoy Clarence so. He always says a letter would have done as well. I don't suppose he'd tell us anything, though. He is so frightfully discreet. That's what makes him so hard to live with for long on end. But let us go on with our matchmaking. I'm sure Colonel Race is very attracted to you, Anne. Give him a couple of glances from those wicked eyes of yours, and the deed is done. Every one gets engaged on board ship. There's nothing else to do."

"I don't want to get married."

"Don't you?" said Suzanne. "Why not? I love being married—even to Clarence!"

I disdained her flippancy.

"What I want to know is," I said with determination,