ou, if you are not here, then where are you?" cried
Heyst. "You understand me very well."

She shook her head a little. Her red lips, at which he looked now, her
lips as fascinating as the voice that came out of them, uttered the
words:

"I hear what you say; but what does it mean?"

"It means that I could lie and perhaps cringe for your sake."

"No! No! Don't you ever do that," she said in haste, while her eyes
glistened suddenly. "You would hate me for it afterwards!"

"Hate you?" repeated Heyst, who had recalled his polite manner. "No!
You needn't consider the extremity of the improbable--as yet. But I will
confess to you that I--how shall I call it?--that I dissembled. First I
dissembled my dismay at the unforeseen result of my idiotic diplomacy.
Do you understand, my dear girl?"

It was evident that she did not understand the word. Heyst produced his
playful smile, which contrasted oddly with the worried character of his
whole expression. His temples seemed to have sunk in, his face looked a
little leaner.

"A diplomatic statement, Lena, is a statement of which everything is
true, but the sentiment which seems to prompt it. I have never been
diplomatic in my relation with mankind--not from regard for its
feelings, but from a certain regard for my own. Diplomacy doesn't go
well with consistent contempt. I cared little for life and still less
for death."

"Don't talk like that!"

"I dissembled my extreme longing to take these wandering scoundrels
by their throats," he went on. "I have only two hands--I wish I had a
hundred to defend you--and there were three throats. By that time
their Pedro was in the room too. Had he seen me engaged with their two
throats, he would have been at mine like a fierce dog, or any other
savage and faithful brute. I had no difficulty in dissembling my longing
for the vulgar, stupid, and hopeless argument of fight. I remarked that
I really did not want a servant. I couldn't think of depriving them of
their man's services; but they would not hear me. They had made up their
minds.

"'We shall send him over at once,' Ricardo said, 'to start cooking
dinner for everybody. I hope you won't mind me coming to eat it with
you in your bungalow; and we will send the governor's dinner over to him
here.'

"I could do nothing but hold my tongue or bring on a quarrel--some
manifestation of their dark purpose, which we have no means to resist.
Of course, you may remain invisible this evenin