stom to strangers who
have come to us as friends."

Preparations were at once made for a start, and Harvey went to tell
Tessa, whom he found in the house allotted to her, listening to Atkins,
who was planning some improvements in the interior so as to add to her
comfort.

"I wish I could go with you, Harvey," said Tessa with a bright smile;
"it would be like the old days in Ponape, with you and my brothers. How
long will you be away?"

"Perhaps two days. Will you come, Atkins?"

"Not me! The less salt water I see and the less rain-water I feel for
another week the better I'll like it. Besides, I'm going to do a bit of
carpentering work for Miss Remington. We may have to hang out here for a
month before that Dutch schooner comes along, and I'm just going to set
to work and make Miss Remington comfy. And if you had any sense, Harvey,
you'd stay under shelter instead of trying to get another dose of shakes
by going out and fooling around in a canoe."

Harvey laughed. "There's no more fever for me, Atkins. I'm clear of it.
That little boat trip of ours has knocked it clean out of my bones, and
if you don't believe me, I'm willing to prove it by getting to the top
of that coconut-tree outside there in ten seconds' quicker time than you
can do it."

The boat voyage had certainly done him good, and although he had by
no means thoroughly recovered his strength, his cheeks had lost their
yellow, haggard look, and his eyes were bright with returning health.
Atkins, who knew that Tessa was to become his wife, looked first at him
and then at her with sly humour twinkling in his honest grey eyes. Then
he took his pipe out of his pocket and put it in his mouth.

"Well, I'll come back by and by. Two is company, and three is none.
The sooner _I_ go, the better you'll like it, and the sooner _you_ go,
Harvey, the sooner I can get to work;" and so saying he walked out.

Tessa's dark eyes danced with fun as she walked backwards from Harvey,
and leaning against the thatched side of the house, put her finger to
her lips. "What a _beautiful_ sensible man he is, isn't he, Harvey?"

"He's a man after my own heart, Tessa," and then Maoni, who sat smoking
a cigarette in a corner of the room, discreetly turned her back as
certain sibilant sounds were frequently repeated for a minute or two.

"Harvey, you sinner," she whispered, "I don't like you a bit. Really and
truly I don't.... Now,_ now_, no more.... Maoni can hear you, I'm sure.