warned him off. To this
Sheila had said that the killing of a man whose life was bad might
be punishable. In any case, that was in another land, under abnormal
conditions; and, with lack of logic, she saw no reason why he should be
socially punished in Jamaica for what he had been legally punished for
in Ireland. As for the mutiny, he had done what any honest man of spirit
would do; also, he had by great bravery and skill brought victory to the
king's fleet in West Indian waters.

Then it was she told her mother how she had always disobeyed her
commands where Dyck was concerned, that she had written to him while he
was in jail; that she had come to Jamaica more to see him than to reform
Salem; that she had the old Celtic spirit of brotherhood, and she would
not be driven from it. In a sudden burst of anger her mother had charged
her with deceit; but the girl said she had followed her conscience, and
she dismissed it all with a gesture as emphatic as her mother's anger.

That night they had dined with Lord Mallow, and she saw that his
attentions had behind them the deep purpose of marriage. She had not
been overcome by the splendour of his retinue and table, or by the
magnificence of his guests; though the military commander-in-chief and
the temporary admiral on the station did their utmost to entertain her,
and some of the local big-wigs were pompous. Lord Mallow had ability and
knew how to use it; and he was never so brilliant as on this afternoon,
for they dined while it was still daylight and hardly evening. He
told her of the customs of the country, of the people; and slyly and
effectively he satirized some of his grandiloquent guests. Not unduly,
for one of them, the most renowned in the island, came to him after
dinner as he sat talking to Sheila, and said: "I'm very sorry, your
honour, but good Almighty God, I must go home and cool coppers." Then he
gave Sheila a hot yet clammy hand, and bade her welcome as a citizen
to the island, "alien but respected, beautiful but capable!" Sheila
had seen a few of the Creole ladies present at their best-large-eyed,
simple, not to say primitive in speech, and very unaffected in manner.
She had learned also that the way to the Jamaican heart was by a full
table and a little flattery.

One incident at dinner had impressed her greatly. Not far away from
her was a young lady, beautiful in face and person, and she had seen a
scorpion suddenly shoot into her sleeve and ruthlessly