whether she was indeed a party to such a bargain and to prevent her carrying out her part of it; but I accomplished nothing, except to learn that she had really promised herself to the Soesoehoenan upon receipt of the emerald. Finally, late in the afternoon, I called upon the envoy of the Soesoehoenan—whose name is Baraka—at the Hotel Tonty, and attempted through him to prevent the affair from going farther. He was at first polite, then obdurate, finally angry—and we had a heated discussion.
"Nevertheless, in the evening I went to see him again. It had occurred to me how easily the Soesoehoenan might have substituted an imitation stone for the real one, and I was at least resolved that Miss Regan should not undergo the further disgrace of being tricked.
