k I got a charter, but
I ain't sure. I take a chance, that's all."

After they had finished and as he was waiting for Mr. Dainopoulos, he
saw Evanthia in the garden, an apron over her pink cotton dress, smoking
a cigarette.

"So it's Athens you want," he said, smiling. She put her finger to her
lips.

"By and by, you will see," she said and led him away down among the
trees. She pulled his head down with a gesture he grew to know well, and
whispered rapidly in his ear. And then pushed him away and hurried off
to look for eggs in the chicken-house. He joined Mr. Dainopoulos in a
thoughtful mood, more than ever convinced that women were, as he put it,
queer. He was so preoccupied that he did not notice the lack of
originality in this conclusion.

Mr. Dainopoulos was thoughtful, too, as they made their way into the
city and he opened his office. He was in a difficulty because he did not
know how far Mr. Spokesly, being an Englishman, could be trusted with
the facts. He was perfectly well aware of the difference between doing a
little business in hashish, which destroyed the soldiers in Egypt body
and soul, and an enterprise such as he had in mind. What would be Mr.
Spokesly's attitude after his interview with the major, and after
getting away to sea? He had said he was taking a chance of a cargo. This
was scarcely true; but he was taking a chance in sending Mr. Spokesly
out ignorant of what was in store for him. But he decided to do it. He
decided to make that drug-rotted old captain of his earn his salt. He
would let Captain Rannie tell Mr. Spokesly after they were at sea.
Scraping his chin with his fingernail as he stood in front of his big
safe, Mr. Dainopoulos felt sure that, out at sea, there would be no
trouble. Then he opened his safe. He would make sure. The major had his
own personal influence, no doubt; and it would be a powerful one if he
exercised it. Mr. Dainopoulos could imagine him engaging Mr. Spokesly's
interest tremendously with the story of those men waiting for their
stores in Phyros. He took out a cash-box, and closing the safe went back
to his desk.

"Listen here, Mister," he said, and suddenly broke off to wave away the
young Jew, who was gazing in upon them with eyes enlarged and charged
with pathos. "Listen here," he went on when the youth had vanished like
a wraith. "I want to fix you so you'll be all right if anything happens,
you understand. I don't know. Perhaps the Government take the _K