to watch the
crowd stream out, then he held out his hand.

"Good-night," he said. "I hope you'll have a pleasant journey home."

"Oh, but I shall see you before I go."

He sniggered.

"The question is if you'll see me drunk or sober."

He turned and left me. I had a recollection of those very large black
eyes, shining wildly under the shaggy brows. I paused irresolutely. I
did not feel sleepy and I thought I would at all events go along to the
club for an hour before turning in. When I got there I found the
billiard-room empty, but half-a-dozen men were sitting round a table in
the lounge, playing poker. Miller looked up as I came in.

"Sit down and take a hand," he said.

"All right."

I bought some chips and began to play. Of course it is the most
fascinating game in the world and my hour lengthened out to two, and
then to three. The native bar-tender, cheery and wide-awake
notwithstanding the time, was at our elbow to supply us with drinks and
from somewhere or other he produced a ham and a loaf of bread. We played
on. Most of the party had drunk more than was good for them and the play
was high and reckless. I played modestly, neither wishing to win nor
anxious to lose, but I watched Miller with a fascinated interest. He
drank glass for glass with the rest of the company, but remained cool
and level-headed. His pile of chips increased in size and he had a neat
little paper in front of him on which he had marked various sums lent to
players in distress. He beamed amiably at the young men whose money he
was taking. He kept up interminably his stream of jest and anecdote, but
he never missed a draw, he never let an expression of the face pass him.
At last the dawn crept into the windows, gently, with a sort of
deprecating shyness, as though it had no business there, and then it was
day.

"Well," said Miller, "I reckon we've seen the old year out in style. Now
let's have a round of jackpots and me for my mosquito net. I'm fifty,
remember, I can't keep these late hours."

The morning was beautiful and fresh when we stood on the verandah, and
the lagoon was like a sheet of multicoloured glass. Someone suggested a
dip before going to bed, but none cared to bathe in the lagoon, sticky
and treacherous to the feet. Miller had his car at the door and he
offered to take us down to the pool. We jumped in and drove along the
deserted road. When we reached the pool it seemed as though the day had
hardly risen there ye