e had told her the truth. It was not right that a young and
attractive woman should wander about in the East, unattended save by a
middle-aged companion. It would provoke the devil in men who were not
wholly bad. Women had the fallible idea that they could read human
nature, and never found out their mistake until after they were
married. He knew her kind. If she wanted to walk through the bazaars
in the evening, she would do so. If a man followed her she would
ignore the fact. If he caught up with her and spoke, she would
continue on as if she had not heard. If a man touched her, she would
rely upon the fire of her eyes. She would never call out for help.
Some women were just that silly.

He bit hard upon the stem of his pipe. What was all this to him? Why
should he bother his head about a woman he had known but a few hours?
Ah, why lie to himself? He knew what Elsa, usually quick and
receptive, did not know, that he was not afraid of her, but terribly
afraid of himself. For things ripen quickly in the East, men and
women, souls and deeds. And he was something like the pariah-dog;
spoken kindly to, it attached itself immediately and enduringly.

He struck the cutty against his boot-heel. Why not? It would be only
for two days. At Rangoon their paths would separate; he would never
see her again. He got up. He would go to her at once and apologize
abjectly. And thus he surrendered to the very devil he had but a
moment gone so vigorously discountenanced.

He found her asleep in her chair. The devil which had brought him to
her side was thrust back. Why, she was nothing more than a beautiful
child! A great yearning to brother her came into his heart. He did
not disturb her, but waited until five, that grave and sober hour, when
kings and clerks stop work for no logical reason whatever--tea. She
opened her eyes and saw him watching her. He rose quickly.

"May I get you some tea?"

"Thank you."

And so the gulf was bridged. When he returned he set the cup and plate
of cakes on the arm of her chair.

"I was very rude a little while ago. Will you accept my apologies?"

"On condition that you will never take your playthings and go home."

He laughed engagingly. "You've hit it squarely. It was the act of a
petulant child."

"It did not sound exactly like a man who had stoked six months from
Singapore to the Andaman Islands. But there is one thing I must
understand before this acquaintan