ing I was there
to step in. I want you to make yourself at home, and before long--"

The faded stare of the Great de Barral silenced Anthony by its
inexpressive fixity. He signalled with his eyes to Flora towards the
door of the state-room fitted specially to receive Mr Smith, the free
man. She seized the free man's hat off the table and took him
caressingly under the arm. "Yes! This is home, come and see your room.
Papa!"

Anthony himself threw open the door and Flora took care to shut it
carefully behind herself and her father.

"See," she began but desisted because it was clear that he would look at
none of the contrivances for his comfort.

She herself had hardly seen them before. He was looking only at the new
carpet and she waited till he should raise his eyes.

He didn't do that but spoke in his usual voice. "So this is your
husband, that ... And I locked up!"

"Papa, what's the good of harping on that," she remonstrated no louder.
"He is kind."

"And you went and ... married him so that he should be kind to me. Is
that it? How did you know that I wanted anybody to be kind to me?"

"How strange you are!" she said thoughtfully.

"It's hard for a man who has gone through what I have gone through to
feel like other people. Has that occurred to you?..." He looked up at
last... "Mrs Anthony, I can't bear the sight of the fellow." She met
his eyes without flinching and he added, "You want to go to him now."
His mild automatic manner seemed the effect of tremendous
self-restraint--and yet she remembered him always like that. She felt
cold all over.

"Why, of course, I must go to him," she said with a slight start.

He gnashed his teeth at her and she went out.

Anthony had not moved from the spot. One of his hands was resting on
the table. She went up to him, stopped, then deliberately moved still
closer. "Thank you, Roderick."

"You needn't thank me," he murmured. "It's I who..."

"No, perhaps I needn't. You do what you like. But you are doing it
well."

He sighed then hardly above a whisper because they were near the
state-room door, "Upset, eh?"

She made no sign, no sound of any kind. The thorough falseness of the
position weighed on them both. But he was the braver of the two. "I
dare say. At first. Did you think of telling him you were happy?"

"He never asked me," she smiled faintly at him. She was disappointed by
his quietness. "I did not say more than I was abso