dom, and you shall
kiss my lips and taste of bliss--you, who were and are and shall
be--you, the beloved of Yva from the beginning to the end of Time."

Chapter XXII. The Command

I think that both Bastin and Bickley, by instinct as it were, knew what
had passed between Yva and myself and that she had promised herself to
me. They showed this by the way in which they avoided any mention of
her name. Also they began to talk of their own plans for the future
as matters in which I had no part. Thus I heard them discussing the
possibility of escape from the island whereof suddenly they seemed to
have grown weary, and whether by any means two men (two, not three)
could manage to sail and steer the lifeboat that remained upon the
wreck. In short, as in all such cases, the woman had come between; also
the pressure of a common loss caused them to forget their differences
and to draw closer together. I who had succeeded where they both had
failed, was, they seemed to think, out of their lives, so much that our
ancient intimacy had ended.

This attitude hurt me, perhaps because in many respects the situation
was awkward. They had, it is true, taken their failures extremely well,
still the fact remained that both of them had fallen in love with the
wonderful creature, woman and yet more than woman, who had bound
herself to me. How then could we go on living together, I in prospective
possession of the object that all had desired, and they without the
pale?

Moreover, they were jealous in another and quite a different fashion
because they both loved me in their own ways and were convinced that I
who had hitherto loved them, henceforward should have no affection left
to spare, since surely this Glittering Lady, this marvel of wisdom and
physical perfections would take it all. Of course they were in error,
since even if I could have been so base and selfish, this was no conduct
that Yva would have wished or even suffered. Still that was their
thought.

Mastering the situation I reflected a little while and then spoke
straight out to them.

"My friends," I said, "as I see that you have guessed, Yva and I are
affianced to each other and love each other perfectly."

"Yes, Arbuthnot," said Bastin, "we saw that in your face, and in hers
as she bade us good night before she went into the cave, and we
congratulate you and wish you every happiness."

"We wish you every happiness, old fellow," chimed in Bickley. He
paused a wh