embodied in the immortal phrase
"making a woman happy." He would do it. He would astonish her by his
sudden solicitude for her happiness. And it must be admitted that,
whatever else he failed to do, Mr. Spokesly succeeded in astonishing
her. Evanthia Solaris was perfectly equipped to achieve her own
happiness, equipped with the weapons and instincts of the jungle; and
the spectacle of an Englishman at his ancient and honourable pastime of
making a woman happy, while it never caused her to relax her vigilance,
certainly inspired her with novel emotions.

Mr. Spokesly was so lost in his reflections, most of them confusingly
agreeable, that he started when a familiar mellow voice asked him where
he was going. His friend the Lieutenant of Reserve was standing at the
corner of the Place. It was evident that the billet of deputy-assistant
harbour master carried no crushingly onerous duties. The old lieutenant
looked as though he had had a number of little drinks since Mr. Spokesly
had left him. He stood leaning on a cane looking on benevolently at the
busy scene.

"Floka's is right here," he said. "S'pose we have a couple? Beautiful
morning, isn't it? Well, and how did you get on?"

Mr. Spokesly had time to think. He recalled his own motto of keeping
one's eyes open and one's mouth shut. His angle of vision had changed
since the morning hour. He no longer felt sore with the navy or
miserably alone in the world. He had got a promise of a command--a
promise he had never before approached in his life. And a woman had said
she wanted him. He regarded his elderly companion with composure as they
stepped over and sat down at a little table.

"Not so bad," he said, drawing out his two hundred francs and handing
over twenty-five. "Much obliged. No, can't say when I'm goin' home.
Paymaster said he'd let me know. How's things? Any more anchors to
slip?"

The answer was a fat chuckle.

"Oh, my young lordship's not there this morning," said the lieutenant.
"Playing golf!" He drank his gin and bitters thirstily, which is a bad
sign. "Golf! I'd golf him, if I had my way. Lucky there's nothing much
doing just now. As it is I've had a heavy morning, getting things
straightened out. I think I'll have another and then we might try a bit
o' lunch. So you'll be on your own for a few days. I wish I could get
home. I'm going to see the Captain of the Base to-morrow. If that's no
good, I'll write to the Admiralty."

They had another and th