uld I do?
It might divert this lady to act on my behalf. If she procured an
interview for me with Sylvia, I would ask no more of her. There was
nothing to risk except that Sylvia might be offended if she heard that
she had been the object of compacts. But something must be risked,
otherwise I might be simply butting my head against monastic brickwork.

"Madam," said I, "whatever your motives may be, I accept your offer to
fight on my side, and the sooner the battle begins the better. The young
lady to whom I wish to offer myself in marriage, and with whom I am most
eager to meet, is Miss Sylvia Raynor, a novice, or something of the
kind, in the House of Martha."

With her brows slightly knitted, as if she did not exactly understand my
words, my companion looked at me for an instant. Then her eyes sparkled,
her lips parted, and a flush of quick comprehension passed over her
face. She put back her head and laughed until she almost lost her
breath. I looked upon her, shocked and wounded to the soul.

"Pardon me," she said, her eyes filled with the tears of laughter, "but
it can't be helped; I withdraw my offer. I cannot be on your side, at
least just now. But I shall remain neutral,--you can count on that,"
and, still laughing, she went her way.

Any one more disagreeably unpleasant than this woman I had never met.
When I told Walkirk what had happened I could not restrain my burning
indignation, and I declared I would not remain another hour on the
island with her. He listened to me with grave concern.

"This is very unfortunate," he said, "but do not let us be precipitate."

XXVIII.

THE FLOATING GROCERY.

I now positively decided that the next day I would leave this island,
where people flew off at such disagreeable tangents; but as I was here
on invitation, I could not go away without taking leave of my hostess.
Accordingly, in the evening Walkirk and I went up to the house.

The Sand Lady was manifestly grieved when she heard of our intended
departure, and her brother was quite demonstrative in his expressions of
regret; even the Shell Man, who had discovered in Walkirk some tastes
similar to his own, demurred at our going. The Person, however, made no
allusion to the subject, and gave us, indeed, as little of her society
as she apparently did of her thoughts.

In order not to produce the impression that I was running after Mother
Anastasia, as Walkirk had put it, I announced that we should continue