puzzled, but being a practical man he busies himself gathering
firewood, until TWEENY appears excitedly carrying cocoa-nuts in her
skirt. She has made better use than the ladies of her three minutes'
grace for dressing.)

TWEENY (who can be happy even on an island if CRICHTON is with her).
Look what I found.

CRICHTON. Cocoa-nuts. Bravo!

TWEENY. They grows on trees.

CRICHTON. Where did you think they grew?

TWEENY. I thought as how they grew in rows on top of little sticks.

CRICHTON (wrinkling his brows). Oh Tweeny, Tweeny!

TWEENY (anxiously). Have I offended of your feelings again, sir?

CRICHTON. A little.

TWEENY (in a despairing outburst). I'm full o' vulgar words and ways;
and though I may keep them in their holes when you are by, as soon as
I'm by myself out they comes in a rush like beetles when the house is
dark. I says them gloating-like, in my head--'Blooming' I says, and
'All my eye,' and 'Ginger,' and 'Nothink'; and all the time we was being
wrecked I was praying to myself, 'Please the Lord it may be an island as
it's natural to be vulgar on.'

(A shudder passes through CRICHTON, and she is abject.)

That's the kind I am, sir. I'm 'opeless. You'd better give me up.

(She is a pathetic, forlorn creature, and his manhood is stirred.)

CRICHTON (wondering a little at himself for saying it). I won't give you
up. It is strange that one so common should attract one so fastidious;
but so it is. (Thoughtfully.) There is something about you, Tweeny,
there is a je ne sais quoi about you.

TWEENY (knowing only that he has found something in her to commend). Is
there, is there? Oh, I am glad.

CRICHTON (putting his hand on her shoulder like a protector). We shall
fight your vulgarity together. (All this time he has been arranging
sticks for his fire.) Now get some dry grass. (She brings him grass, and
he puts it under the sticks. He produces an odd lens from his pocket,
and tries to focus the sun's rays.)

TWEENY. Why, what's that?

CRICHTON (the ingenious creature). That's the glass from my watch and
one from Mr. Treherne's, with a little water between them. I'm hoping to
kindle a fire with it.

TWEENY (properly impressed). Oh sir!

(After one failure the grass takes fire, and they are blowing on it when
excited cries near by bring them sharply to their feet. AGATHA runs to
them, white of face, followed by ERNEST.)

ERNEST. Danger! Crichton, a tiger-cat!

CRICHTON (getting his cutlass). W