le.

Lister tried to brace himself, for he saw she could not be moved. Yet
there was something to be said.

"You are the girl I mean to marry," he declared. "Some day, perhaps,
you'll see you're indulging a blamed extravagant illusion and I'm going
to wait. When you're logical I'll try again."

Barbara forced a smile. "Sometimes I am logical; I feel I'm logical now.
But I have left my mother alone rather long and you must let me go."

Lister went with her to the road and got on a tram going to the town. He
was hurt and angry, but not altogether daunted. Barbara's ridiculous
pride might break and she was worth waiting for. When he returned on
board, a small African liner had anchored not far off, and while he
watched the boats that swarmed about the ship, one left the others and
came towards the tug. The Spanish crew were pulling hard and a passenger
occupied the stern. Learmont, lounging near, turned his glasses on the
boat.

"I'm not sorry you are boss," he said. "The Old Man is coming!"

A few minutes afterwards Cartwright got over the tug's rail. His face
was red, and he looked very stern.

"Why have you left the wreck?" he asked Lister.

"I came for some castings I couldn't get at Sierra Leone. The pump and
engine needed mending."

"Then where's Brown?"

"He's busy at the lagoon, sir. There's enough to keep him occupied,
unless the pump plays out before I get back."

Cartwright looked relieved, but asked meaningly: "Did you know Mrs.
Cartwright and Miss Hyslop were at Las Palmas?"

"I did not know until yesterday evening, twenty-four hours after I
arrived; but we'll talk about this again. I expect you want to know how
we are getting on at the wreck?"

Cartwright nodded. "I think my curiosity is natural! Let's get out of
the sun, and if you have liquor on board, order me a drink. When the
mail-boat steamed round the mole and I saw _Terrier_, I got a nasty
jolt."

Lister took him to the captain's room and gave him some sour red Canary
wine. Cartwright drained his glass and looked up with an ironical smile.

"If you use stuff like this. Brown ought not to be tempted much!
However, you can tell me what you have done at the lagoon, and the
difficulties you have met. You needn't bother to smooth down Brown's
extravagances, I knew the captain before I knew you."

Lister told his story, and when he stopped Cartwright filled his glass,
raised it to his lips and put it back with a frown.

"Send somebody