The Rodneys were arriving on the fifth day from Berlin.

Despite the fact that the Seattle "connections" had never seen the illustrious Medcroft, husband to their distant cousin, there still remained the disturbing fear that they would recognise--or rather fail to recognise him!--from chance pictures that might have come to their notice.

Besides, there was always the possibility that they had seen or even met Brock in New York.

He lugubriously admitted that he had met unfortunate thousands whom he had promptly forgotten but who seldom failed to remember him.

It is not surprising, then, that the Medcrofts, _ex parte_, were in a state of perturbation,--a condition which did not relax in the least as the time drew near for the arrival of the five o'clock train from the north.
Constance strove faithfully, even valiantly, to inject confidence into the souls of the prime conspirators.
"You have done so beautifully up to this time," she protested to the dolorous Brock, "why should you be afraid?
I once read of an Indian chief whose name was Young-Man-Afraid-of-his-Wife! He was a very brave fellow in spite of all that.