d. You are out on my bare word."

While Lingard was speaking Mr. Travers turned his face away but
d'Alcacer listened courteously. Not another word was spoken for the rest
of the way. The two gentlemen went up the ship's side first. Lingard
remained to help Mrs. Travers at the foot of the ladder. She pressed his
hand strongly and looking down at his upturned face:

"This was a wonderful success," she said.

For a time the character of his fascinated gaze did not change. It
was as if she had said nothing. Then he whispered, admiringly, "You
understand everything."

She moved her eyes away and had to disengage her hand to which he clung
for a moment, giddy, like a man falling out of the world.

III

Mrs. Travers, acutely aware of Lingard behind her, remained gazing over
the lagoon. After a time he stepped forward and placed himself beside
her close to the rail. She went on staring at the sheet of water turned
to deep purple under the sunset sky.

"Why have you been avoiding me since we came back from the stockade?"
she asked in a deadened voice.

"There is nothing to tell you till Rajah Hassim and his sister Immada
return with some news," Lingard answered in the same tone. "Has my
friend succeeded? Will Belarab listen to any arguments? Will he consent
to come out of his shell? Is he on his way back? I wish I knew! . . .
Not a whisper comes from there! He may have started two days ago and
he may be now near the outskirts of the Settlement. Or he may have gone
into camp half way down, from some whim or other; or he may be already
arrived for all I know. We should not have seen him. The road from the
hills does not lead along the beach."

He snatched nervously at the long glass and directed it at the dark
stockade. The sun had sunk behind the forests leaving the contour of the
tree-tops outlined by a thread of gold under a band of delicate green
lying across the lower sky. Higher up a faint crimson glow faded into
the darkened blue overhead. The shades of the evening deepened over the
lagoon, clung to the sides of the Emma and to the forms of the further
shore. Lingard laid the glass down.

"Mr. d'Alcacer, too, seems to have been avoiding me," said Mrs. Travers.
"You are on very good terms with him, Captain Lingard."

"He is a very pleasant man," murmured Lingard, absently. "But he says
funny things sometimes. He inquired the other day if there were any
playing cards on board, and when I asked him if he liked