ited in the stillness, her elbows on the rail and her face in her
hands as if she had already forgotten what she had said. She heard at
her elbow the deep murmur of:

"Let's hear you say it."

She never moved the least bit. The sombre lagoon sparkled faintly with
the reflection of the stars.

"Oh, yes, I will let you hear it," she said into the starlit space in a
voice of unaccented gentleness which changed subtly as she went on. "I
hope you will never regret that you came out of your friendless mystery
to speak to me, King Tom. How many days ago it was! And here is another
day gone. Tell me how many more of them there must be? Of these blinding
days and nights without a sound."

"Be patient," he murmured. "Don't ask me for the impossible."

"How do you or I know what is possible?" she whispered with a strange
scorn. "You wouldn't dare guess. But I tell you that every day that
passes is more impossible to me than the day before."

The passion of that whisper went like a stab into his breast. "What am
I to tell you?" he murmured, as if with despair. "Remember that every
sunset makes it a day less. Do you think I want you here?"

A bitter little laugh floated out into the starlight. Mrs. Travers heard
Lingard move suddenly away from her side. She didn't change her pose by
a hair's breadth. Presently she heard d'Alcacer coming out of the Cage.
His cultivated voice asked half playfully:

"Have you had a satisfactory conversation? May I be told something of
it?"

"Mr. d'Alcacer, you are curious."

"Well, in our position, I confess. . . . You are our only refuge,
remember."

"You want to know what we were talking about," said Mrs. Travers,
altering slowly her position so as to confront d'Alcacer whose face was
almost undistinguishable. "Oh, well, then, we talked about opera, the
realities and illusions of the stage, of dresses, of people's names, and
things of that sort."

"Nothing of importance," he said courteously. Mrs. Travers moved forward
and he stepped to one side. Inside the Cage two Malay hands were hanging
round lanterns, the light of which fell on Mr. Travers' bowed head as he
sat in his chair.

When they were all assembled for the evening meal Jorgenson strolled up
from nowhere in particular as his habit was, and speaking through the
muslin announced that Captain Lingard begged to be excused from joining
the company that evening. Then he strolled away. From that moment till
they got up from the ta