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ppiest¡¡man¡¡in¡¡the¡¡world£¿¡¡I¡¡do¡¡not¡¡ask¡¡for¡¡all¡¡your¡¡love¡¡at¡¡firstthat¡¡will¡¡come¡¡later¡£¡¡Just¡¡give¡¡me¡¡the¡¡right¡¡to¡¡cherish¡¡and¡¡protect¡¡you¡£¡¡Say¡¡that¡¡you¡¡will¡¡be¡¡my¡¡wife£»¡¡Virginia£»¡¡and¡¡we¡¡need¡¡have¡¡no¡¡more¡¡fears¡¡that¡¡the¡¡strange¡¡vagaries¡¡of¡¡your¡¡father's¡¡mind¡¡can¡¡ever¡¡again¡¡jeopardize¡¡your¡¡life¡¡or¡¡your¡¡happiness¡¡as¡¡they¡¡have¡¡in¡¡the¡¡past¡£¡¨
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With¡¡Professor¡¡Maxon's¡¡solemn¡¡promise¡¡to¡¡insure¡¡his¡¡ultimate¡¡success¡¡von¡¡Horn¡¡was¡¡very¡¡gentle¡¡and¡¡gracious¡¡in¡¡deferring¡¡to¡¡the¡¡girl's¡¡wishes¡£¡¡¡¡The¡¡girl¡¡for¡¡her¡¡part¡¡could¡¡not¡¡put¡¡from¡¡her¡¡mind¡¡the¡¡disappointment¡¡she¡¡had¡¡felt¡¡when¡¡she¡¡discovered¡¡that¡¡her¡¡rescuer¡¡was¡¡von¡¡Horn£»¡¡and¡¡not¡¡the¡¡handsome¡¡young¡¡giant¡¡whom¡¡she¡¡had¡¡been¡¡positive¡¡was¡¡in¡¡close¡¡pursuit¡¡of¡¡her¡¡abductors¡£
When¡¡Number¡¡Thirteen¡¡had¡¡been¡¡mentioned¡¡she¡¡had¡¡always¡¡pictured¡¡him¡¡as¡¡a¡¡hideous¡¡monster£»¡¡similar¡¡to¡¡the¡¡creature¡¡that¡¡had¡¡seized¡¡her¡¡in¡¡the¡¡jungle¡¡beside¡¡the¡¡encampment¡¡that¡¡first¡¡day¡¡she¡¡had¡¡seen¡¡the¡¡mysterious¡¡stranger£»¡¡of¡¡whom¡¡she¡¡could¡¡obtain¡¡no¡¡information¡¡either¡¡from¡¡her¡¡father¡¡or¡¡von¡¡Horn¡£¡¡¡¡When¡¡she¡¡had¡¡recently¡¡insisted¡¡that¡¡the¡¡same¡¡man¡¡had¡¡been¡¡at¡¡the¡¡head¡¡of¡¡her¡¡father's¡¡creatures¡¡in¡¡an¡¡attempt¡¡to¡¡rescue¡¡her£»¡¡both¡¡von¡¡Horn¡¡and¡¡Professor¡¡Maxon¡¡scoffed¡¡at¡¡the¡¡idea£»¡¡until¡¡at¡¡last¡¡she¡¡was¡¡convinced¡¡that¡¡the¡¡fright¡¡and¡¡the¡¡firelight¡¡had¡¡conspired¡¡to¡¡conjure¡¡in¡¡her¡¡brain¡¡the¡¡likeness¡¡of¡¡one¡¡who¡¡was¡¡linked¡¡by¡¡memory¡¡to¡¡another¡¡time¡¡of¡¡danger¡¡and¡¡despair¡£
Virginia¡¡could¡¡not¡¡understand¡¡why¡¡it¡¡was¡¡that¡¡the¡¡face¡¡of¡¡the¡¡stranger¡¡persisted¡¡in¡¡obtruding¡¡itself¡¡in¡¡her¡¡memory¡£¡¡That¡¡the¡¡man¡¡was¡¡unusually¡¡good¡¡looking¡¡was¡¡undeniable£»¡¡but¡¡she¡¡had¡¡known¡¡many¡¡good¡¡looking¡¡men£»¡¡nor¡¡was¡¡she¡¡especially¡¡impressionable¡¡to¡¡mere¡¡superficial¡¡beauty¡£¡¡No¡¡words¡¡had¡¡passed¡¡between¡¡them¡¡on¡¡the¡¡occasion¡¡of¡¡their¡¡first¡¡meeting£»¡¡so¡¡it¡¡could¡¡have¡¡been¡¡nothing¡¡that¡¡he¡¡said¡¡which¡¡caused¡¡the¡¡memory¡¡of¡¡him¡¡to¡¡cling¡¡so¡¡tenaciously¡¡in¡¡her¡¡mind¡£
What¡¡was¡¡it¡¡then£¿¡¡¡¡Was¡¡it¡¡the¡¡memory¡¡of¡¡the¡¡moments¡¡that¡¡she¡¡had¡¡lain¡¡in¡¡his¡¡strong¡¡armswas¡¡it¡¡the¡¡shadow¡¡of¡¡the¡¡sweet£»¡¡warm¡¡glow¡¡that¡¡had¡¡suffused¡¡her¡¡as¡¡his¡¡eyes¡¡had¡¡caught¡¡hers¡¡upon¡¡his¡¡face£¿
The¡¡thing¡¡was¡¡tantalizingit¡¡was¡¡annoying¡£¡¡¡¡The¡¡girl¡¡blushed¡¡in¡¡mortification¡¡at¡¡the¡¡very¡¡thought¡¡that¡¡she¡¡could¡¡cling¡¡so¡¡resolutely¡¡to¡¡the¡¡memory¡¡of¡¡a¡¡total¡¡stranger£»¡¡andstill¡¡greater¡¡humiliationlong¡¡in¡¡the¡¡secret¡¡depths¡¡of¡¡her¡¡soul¡¡to¡¡see¡¡him¡¡again¡£
She¡¡was¡¡angry¡¡with¡¡herself£»¡¡but¡¡the¡¡more¡¡she¡¡tried¡¡to¡¡forget¡¡the¡¡young¡¡giant¡¡who¡¡had¡¡come¡¡into¡¡her¡¡life¡¡for¡¡so¡¡brief¡¡an¡¡instant£»¡¡the¡¡more¡¡she¡¡speculated¡¡upon¡¡his¡¡identity¡¡and¡¡the¡¡strange¡¡fate¡¡that¡¡had¡¡brought¡¡him¡¡to¡¡their¡¡little£»¡¡savage¡¡island¡¡only¡¡to¡¡snatch¡¡him¡¡away¡¡again¡¡as¡¡mysteriously¡¡as¡¡he¡¡had¡¡come£»¡¡the¡¡less¡¡was¡¡the¡¡approval¡¡with¡¡which¡¡she¡¡looked¡¡upon¡¡the¡¡suit¡¡of¡¡Doctor¡¡von¡¡Horn¡£
Von¡¡Horn¡¡had¡¡left¡¡her£»¡¡and¡¡strolled¡¡down¡¡to¡¡the¡¡river¡£¡¡Finally¡¡Virginia¡¡arose¡¡to¡¡seek¡¡the¡¡crude¡¡couch¡¡which¡¡had¡¡been¡¡spread¡¡for¡¡her¡¡in¡¡one¡¡of¡¡the¡¡sleeping¡¡rooms¡¡of¡¡the¡¡long¡house¡£¡¡¡¡As¡¡she¡¡passed¡¡a¡¡group¡¡of¡¡natives¡¡squatted¡¡nearby¡¡one¡¡of¡¡the¡¡number¡¡arose¡¡and¡¡approached¡¡her£»¡¡and¡¡as¡¡she¡¡halted£»¡¡half¡¡in¡¡fright£»¡¡a¡¡low¡¡voice¡¡whispered£º
¡¨Lookee¡¡out£»¡¡Linee£»¡¡dloctor¡¡Hornee¡¡velly¡¡bad¡¡man¡£¡¨
¡¨Why£»¡¡Sing£¡¡¨¡¡exclaimed¡¡Virginia¡£¡¡¡¡¡¨What¡¡in¡¡the¡¡world¡¡do¡¡you¡¡mean¡¡by¡¡saying¡¡such¡¡a¡¡thing¡¡as¡¡that£¿¡¨
¡¨Never¡¡mind£»¡¡Linee£»¡¡you¡¡always¡¡good¡¡to¡¡old¡¡Sing¡£¡¡Sing¡¡no¡¡likee¡¡see¡¡you¡¡sadee¡£¡¡¡¡Dloctor¡¡Hornee¡¡velly¡¡bad¡¡man£»¡¡las¡¡allee£»¡¨¡¡and¡¡without¡¡another¡¡word¡¡the¡¡Chinaman¡¡turned¡¡and¡¡walked¡¡away¡£
13
BURIED¡¡TREASURE
After¡¡the¡¡escape¡¡of¡¡the¡¡girl¡¡Barunda¡¡and¡¡Ninaka¡¡had¡¡fallen¡¡out¡¡over¡¡that¡¡affair¡¡and¡¡the¡¡division¡¡of¡¡the¡¡treasure£»¡¡with¡¡the¡¡result¡¡that¡¡the¡¡panglima¡¡had¡¡slipped¡¡a¡¡knife¡¡between¡¡the¡¡ribs¡¡of¡¡his¡¡companion¡¡and¡¡dropped¡¡the¡¡body¡¡overboard¡£
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The¡¡next¡¡morning¡¡found¡¡him¡¡refreshed¡¡and¡¡in¡¡considerably¡¡less¡¡pain£»¡¡for¡¡the¡¡powers¡¡of¡¡recuperation¡¡which¡¡belonged¡¡to¡¡his¡¡perfect¡¡health¡¡and¡¡mighty¡¡phys