ressively. Howat Penny
proceeded through the room to the porch, where he met Mariana. They
walked to the further end and found chairs. "What makes me sick,"
Mariana proceeded, "is the way men calmly take everything into their own
hands; as if women were still tied up, naughty bundles. Jim will have
all the fun, and he has only said 'no' in horrified tones."

Again he could think of no adequate reply. He listened in vain for the
sound of raised voices within. "What, in heaven's name, brought them?"
Howat told her what he had heard. "I'm glad I did break up that mess
they called a home," she asserted. "It was rotten with stale beer and
half pounds of liver for that disgusting animal!"

The heat increased in waves; a wagon passing on the road below was
enveloped in a cloud of dust. "I wish they'd hurry," Mariana said
sharply. Howat Penny thought he heard Kingsfrere speaking in abrupt
periods. Then a chair scraped, and Peter Provost's deliberate voice
became audible. It was, however, impossible to distinguish his words;
but suddenly Polder exclaimed, "Say something I can pound into you."
Mariana rose, her hands clenched. "Go back to your mouldy little life!"
James Polder continued. "I'm not surprised Miss Jannan wants to get out
of it. I am sorry I hesitated. It seemed to me I couldn't offer her
anything good enough; but that was before I'd listened to you.... And if
you in particular come worming about me again I'll smash your flat
face." The screen door was wrenched violently open, and James Polder
strode up to Mariana. "Suppose we get out of this slag pit," he said,
his chest labouring; "I can't breathe here."

"I am ready, Jimmy," she replied quietly; "perhaps Howat will look up a
train and let Honduras drive us to the station." She laid her hand on
his arm. "Now we can forget them," she said. They turned, and, together,
vanished into the house. Howat Penny followed them slowly. He found
Peter Provost apparently undisturbed. "Nothing to be done," the latter
commented. "I saw that immediately he turned up. Kingsfrere made a short
effort, but it wasn't conspicuously successful; I imagine it rather
worse than failed. God knows what's getting into these young women,
Howat--Eliza and the rest of 'em--it's a gamble they don't. All right,
Kingsfrere." Jannan lingered with a dark mutter, but the other
unceremoniously drove him into the waiting car.

Mariana soon descended, with Polder carrying two bags. "One seven,"
Howat t