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.