cretary of mine is a queer chap. I am afraid
we aren't presenting ourselves in a very favourable light."

Heyst listened. It was the conventional voice of an educated man,
only strangely lifeless. But more strange yet was this concern for
appearances, expressed, he did not know, whether in jest or in earnest.
Earnestness was hardly to be supposed under the circumstances, and no
one had ever jested in such dead tones. It was something which could not
be answered, and Heyst said nothing. The other went on:

"Travelling as I do, I find a man of his sort extremely useful. He has
his little weaknesses, no doubt."

"Indeed!" Heyst was provoked into speaking. "Weakness of the arm is not
one of them; neither is an exaggerated humanity, as far as I can judge."

"Defects of temper," explained Mr. Jones from the stern-sheets.

The subject of this dialogue, coming out just then from under the
wharf into the visible part of the boat, made himself heard in his own
defence, in a voice full of life, and with nothing languid in his manner
on the contrary, it was brisk, almost jocose. He begged pardon for
contradicting. He was never out of temper with "our Pedro." The
fellow was a Dago of immense strength and of no sense whatever. This
combination made him dangerous, and he had to be treated accordingly, in
a manner which he could understand. Reasoning was beyond him.

"And so"--Ricardo addressed Heyst with animation--"you mustn't be
surprised if--"

"I assure you," Heyst interrupted, "that my wonder at your arrival
in your boat here is so great that it leaves no room for minor
astonishments. But hadn't you better land?"

"That's the talk, sir!" Ricardo began to bustle about the boat, talking
all the time. Finding himself unable to "size up" this man, he was
inclined to credit him with extraordinary powers of penetration, which,
it seemed to him, would be favoured by silence. Also, he feared some
pointblank question. He had no ready-made story to tell. He and his
patron had put off considering that rather important detail too
long. For the last two days, the horrors of thirst, coming on them
unexpectedly, had prevented consultation. They had had to pull for
dear life. But the man on the wharf, were he in league with the devil
himself, would pay for all their sufferings, thought Ricardo with an
unholy joy.

Meantime, splashing in the water which covered the bottom-boards,
Ricardo congratulated himself aloud on the luggage being