d:

"I never saw these people before."

Immada caught hold of her brother's arm. Mr. Travers said harshly:

"Oblige me by taking these natives away."

"Never before," murmured Immada as if lost in ecstasy. D'Alcacer glanced
at Mrs. Travers and made a step forward.

"Could not the difficulty, whatever it is, be arranged, Captain?" he
said with careful politeness. "Observe that we are not only men here--"

"Let them die!" cried Immada, triumphantly.

Though Lingard alone understood the meaning of these words, all on board
felt oppressed by the uneasy silence which followed her cry.

"Ah! He is going. Now, Mrs. Travers," whispered d'Alcacer.

"I hope!" said Mrs. Travers, impulsively, and stopped as if alarmed at
the sound.

Lingard stood still.

"I hope," she began again, "that this poor girl will know happier
days--" She hesitated.

Lingard waited, attentive and serious.

"Under your care," she finished. "And I believe you meant to be friendly
to us."

"Thank you," said Lingard with dignity.

"You and d'Alcacer," observed Mr. Travers, austerely, "are unnecessarily
detaining this--ah--person, and--ah--friends--ah!"

"I had forgotten you--and now--what? One must--it is hard--hard--" went
on Lingard, disconnectedly, while he looked into Mrs. Travers'
violet eyes, and felt his mind overpowered and troubled as if by the
contemplation of vast distances. "I--you don't know--I--you--cannot
. . . Ha! It's all that man's doing," he burst out.

For a time, as if beside himself, he glared at Mrs. Travers, then flung
up one arm and strode off toward the gangway, where Hassim and Immada
waited for him, interested and patient. With a single word "Come," he
preceded them down into the boat. Not a sound was heard on the yacht's
deck, while these three disappeared one after another below the rail as
if they had descended into the sea.

V

The afternoon dragged itself out in silence. Mrs. Travers sat pensive
and idle with her fan on her knees. D'Alcacer, who thought the incident
should have been treated in a conciliatory spirit, attempted to
communicate his view to his host, but that gentleman, purposely
misunderstanding his motive, overwhelmed him with so many apologies
and expressions of regret at the irksome and perhaps inconvenient delay
"which you suffer from through your good-natured acceptance of our
invitation" that the other was obliged to refrain from pursuing the
subject further.

"Even my regard fo