would spoil everything? I assure you I am a lucky
person, too, in a way. . . . As lucky as you, at least," she had added
in a murmur and with a smile which provoked his responsive mutter--"Oh,
yes, we are a lucky pair of people."--"I count myself lucky in having
found a man like you to fight my--our battles," she said, warmly.
"Suppose you had not existed? . . . . You must let me come with you!"
For the second time before her expressed wish to stand by his side he
bowed his head. After all, if things came to the worst, she would be as
safe between him and Jorgenson as left alone on board the Emma with
a few Malay spearmen for all defence. For a moment Lingard thought
of picking up the pistols he had taken out of his belt preparatory to
joining Jorgenson in the boat, thinking it would be better to go to a
big talk completely unarmed. They were lying on the rail but he didn't
pick them up. Four shots didn't matter. They could not matter if the
world of his creation were to go to pieces. He said nothing of that to
Mrs. Travers but busied himself in giving her the means to alter her
personal appearance. It was then that the sea-chest in the deckhouse
was opened for the first time before the interested Mrs. Travers who had
followed him inside. Lingard handed to her a Malay woman's light cotton
coat with jewelled clasps to put over her European dress. It covered
half of her yachting skirt. Mrs. Travers obeyed him without comment. He
pulled out a long and wide scarf of white silk embroidered heavily on
the edges and ends, and begged her to put it over her head and arrange
the ends so as to muffle her face, leaving little more than her eyes
exposed to view.--"We are going amongst a lot of Mohammedans," he
explained.--"I see. You want me to look respectable," she jested.--"I
assure you, Mrs. Travers," he protested, earnestly, "that most of the
people there and certainly all the great men have never seen a white
woman in their lives. But perhaps you would like better one of those
other scarves? There are three in there."--"No, I like this one well
enough. They are all very gorgeous. I see that the Princess is to be
sent back to her land with all possible splendour. What a thoughtful man
you are, Captain Lingard. That child will be touched by your generosity.
. . . Will I do like this?"

"Yes," said Lingard, averting his eyes. Mrs. Travers followed him into
the boat where the Malays stared in silence while Jorgenson, stiff and
ang