His object in taking me to
the club was obvious. He could not have got in save under my protection.
But what he had reckoned upon doing when he got there Heaven and
Anastasius Papadopoulos only knew. I was also worried by the confounded
little pain inside.

On the following afternoon I went down to meet the steamer from
Marseilles. I more than expected to find the dwarf on the quay, but to
my relief he was not there. I had purposely kept my knowledge of Lola's
movements a secret from him, as I desired as far as possible to conduct
affairs without his crazy intervention. I was not sorry, too, that he
had not availed himself of my proposal to visit me that morning and
continue our conversation of the night before. The grotesque as a
decoration of life is valuable; as the main feature it gets on your
nerves.

I stood on the sloping stone jetty among the crowd of Arab porters and
Europeans and watched the vessel waddle in. Lola and I, catching sight
of each other at the same time, waved handkerchiefs in an imbecile
manner, and when the vessel came alongside, and during the tedious
process of mooring, we regarded each other with photographic smiles. She
was wearing a squirrel coat and a toque of the same fur, and she looked
more like a splendid wild animal than ever. Something inside me--not the
little pain--but what must have been my heart, throbbed suddenly at her
beauty, and the throb was followed by a sudden sense of shock at the
realisation of my keen pleasure at the sight of her. A wistful radiance
shone in her face as she came down the gangway.

"Oh, how kind, how good, how splendid of you to meet me!" she cried as
our hands clasped. "I was dreading, dreading, dreading that it might be
some one else."

"And yet you came straight through," said I, still holding her hand--or,
rather, allowing hers to encircle mine in the familiar grip.

"Didn't you command me to do so?"

I could not explain matters to her then and there among the hustle of
passengers and the bustle of porters. Besides, Rogers, who had come down
with the hotel omnibus, was at my side touching his hat.

"I have ordered you a room and a private sitting-room with a balcony
facing the sea. Put yourself in charge of me and your luggage in charge
of Rogers and dismiss all thoughts of worry from your mind."

"You are so restful," she laughed as we moved off.

Then she scanned my face and said falteringly. "How thin and worn you
look! Are you worse?"