THE LAST OF THE ASIKI
Barbara had recovered. She sat upon her bed in the tent and by her sat Alan， holding her hand， while before them stood Aylward like a prisoner in the dock， and behind him the armed Jeekie.
"Tell me the story， Barbara，" said Alan， "and tell it briefly， for I cannot bear much more of this."
She looked at him and began in a slow， even voice：
"After you had gone， dear， things went on as usual for a month or two.
Then came the great Sahara Company trouble. First there were rumours and the shares began to go down. My uncle bought them in by tens and hundreds of thousands， to hold up the market， because he was being threatened， but of course he did not know then that Lord Aylward--for I forgot to tell you， he had become a lord somehow--was secretly one of the principal sellers， let him deny it if he can. At last the Ottoman Government， through the English ambassador， published its repudiation of the concession， which it seems was a forgery， actually executed or obtained in Constantinople by my uncle. Well， there was a fearful smash. Writs were taken out against my uncle， but before they could be served， he died suddenly of heart disease. I was with him at the time and he kept saying he saw that gold mask which Jeekie calls Bonsa， the thing you took back to Africa. He had a fine funeral， for what he had done was not publicly known， and when his will was opened I found that he had left me his fortune， but made Lord Aylward there my trustee until I came to the full age of twenty-five under my father's will. Alan， don't force me to tell you what sort of a guardian he was to me； also there was no fortune， it had all gone； also I had very， very little left， for almost all my own money had gone too. In his despair he had forged papers to get it in order to support those Sahara Syndicate shares. Still I managed to borrow about ā2000 from that little lawyer out of the ā5000 that remain to me， an independent sum which he was unable to touch， and， Alan， with it I came to find you.
"Alan， Lord Aylward followed me； although everybody else was ruined， he remained rich， very very rich， they say， and his fancy was to marry me， also I think it was not comfortable for him in England. It is a long tale， but I got up here with about five-and-twenty servants， and Snell， my maid， whom you remember. Then we were both taken ill with some dreadful fever and had it not been for those good black people， I should have died， for I have been very sick， Alan. But they nursed me and I recovered； it was poor Snell who died， they buried her a few days ago. I thought that she would live， but she had a relapse. Next Lord Aylward appeared with twelve soldiers and some porters who， I believe， have run away now，--oh！ you can guess， you can guess. He wanted my people to carry me away somewhere， to the coast， I suppose， but they were faithful to me and would not. Then he set his soldiers on to maltreat them. They shot several of them and flogged them on every opportunity； they were flogging one of them just now， I heard them. Well， the poor men made me understand that they could bear it no longer and must do what he told them.
"And so， Alan， as I was quite hopeless and helpless， I made up my mind to kill myself， hoping that God would forgive me and that I should find you somewhere， perhaps after sleeping a while， for it was better to die than to be given into the power--of that man. I thought that he was coming for me just now and I was about to do it， but it was you instead， Alan， /you/， and only just in time. That is all the story， and I hope you will not think that I have acted very foolishly， but I did it for the best. If you only knew what I have suffered， Alan， what I have gone through in one way and another， I am sure that you would not judge me harshly； also I kept dreaming that you were in trouble and wanted me to come to you， and of course I knew where you were gone and had that map. Send him away， Alan， for I am still so weak and I cannot bear the sight of his face. If you knew everything， you would understand."
Alan turned on Aylward and in a cold， quiet voice asked him what he had to say to this story.
"I have to say， Major Vernon， that it is a clever mixture of truth and falsehood. It is true that your cousin， Champers-Haswell， has been proved guilty of some very shameful conduct. For instance it appears that he did forge， or rather cause to be forged that Firman from the Sultan， although I knew nothing of this until it was publicly repudiated. It is also true that fearing exposure he entirely lost his head and spent not only his own great fortune but that of Miss Champers also， in trying to support Sahara shares. I admit also that I sold many hundreds of thousands of those shares in the ordinary way， having made up my mind to retire from business when I was raised to the peerage. I admit further， what you knew before， that I was attached to Miss Champers and wished to marry her. Why should I not， especially as I had a good deal to offer to a lady who has been proved to be almost without fortune？
"For the rest she set out secretly on this mad journey to Africa， whither both my duty as her trustee and my affection prompted me to follow her. I found her here recovering from an illness， and since she has dwelt upon the point， in self-defence I must tell you that whatever has taken place between us， has been with her full consent and encouragement. Of course I allude only to those affectionate amenities which are common between people who purpose to marry as soon as opportunity may offer."
At this declaration poor Barbara gasped and leaned back against her pillow. Alan stood silent， though his lips turned white， while Jeekie thrust his big head through the tent opening and stared upwards.
"What are you looking at， Jeekie？" asked Alan irritably.
"Seem to want air， Major， also look to see if clouds tumble. Believe partickler big lie do that sometimes. Please go on， O good Lord， for Jeekie want his breakfast."
