ll; you have seen how we live. Now you shall have the opportunity
to see how some of us end; for it is the end, for me. I can't deceive
myself any longer. You see it--don't your?"

Morrison had pulled himself together, but one felt the snapping strain
on his recovered self-possession. Heyst was beginning to say that
he "could very well see all the bearings of this unfortunate--" when
Morrison interrupted him jerkily.

"Upon my word, I don't know why I have been telling you all this. I
suppose seeing a thoroughly white man made it impossible to keep my
trouble to myself. Words can't do it justice; but since I've told you so
much I may as well tell you more. Listen. This morning on board, in my
cabin I went down on my knees and prayed for help. I went down on my
knees!"

"You are a believer, Morrison?" asked Heyst with a distinct note of
respect.

"Surely I am not an infidel."

Morrison was swiftly reproachful in his answer, and there came a pause,
Morrison perhaps interrogating his conscience, and Heyst preserving a
mien of unperturbed, polite interest.

"I prayed like a child, of course. I believe in children praying--well,
women, too, but I rather think God expects men to be more self-reliant.
I don't hold with a man everlastingly bothering the Almighty with his
silly troubles. It seems such cheek. Anyhow, this morning I--I have
never done any harm to any God's creature knowingly--I prayed. A sudden
impulse--I went flop on my knees; so you may judge--"

They were gazing earnestly into each other's eyes. Poor Morrison added,
as a discouraging afterthought:

"Only this is such a God-forsaken spot."

Heyst inquired with a delicate intonation whether he might know the
amount for which the brig was seized.

Morrison suppressed an oath, and named curtly a sum which was in itself
so insignificant that any other person than Heyst would have exclaimed
at it. And even Heyst could hardly keep incredulity out of his politely
modulated voice as he asked if it was a fact that Morrison had not that
amount in hand.

Morrison hadn't. He had only a little English gold, a few sovereigns, on
board. He had left all his spare cash with the Tesmans, in Samarang, to
meet certain bills which would fall due while he was away on his cruise.
Anyhow, that money would not have been any more good to him than if it
had been in the innermost depths of the infernal regions. He said all
this brusquely. He looked with sudden disfavour at th