and I saw that under its influence the
slight suspicions which I had imparted to poor honest-hearted,
straightforward Mr Austin were melting like snowflakes under a summer
sun. Still, under all the plausibility, the delicate flattery, and the
elaborate politeness of the man, there was a vague indefinable
_something_ to which I found it quite impossible to reconcile myself;
and I watched him as a cat does a mouse, anxious to note whatever
suspicious circumstances might transpire, in order that I might be fully
prepared for the talk with the first luff which I felt certain would
closely follow upon our visitor's departure. To my chagrin, however, I
was on this occasion wholly unable to detect anything whatever out of
the common, and Monsieur Le Breton's broken English, upon which I had
laid such stress in my former conversation with Mr Austin, was now
quite consistent and irreproachable. He was taken through the ship and
shown every nook and corner in her, and finally, about noon, took his
leave. Just before going down over the side he apologised for the non-
appearance of "Captain Dubosc" upon the plea that that gentleman was
confined to his hammock with a severe attack of dysentery; but if the
officers of the _Daphne_ would honour the _estate's_ ward-room with
their presence at dinner that evening Monsieur Le Breton and his brother
officers would be "enchanted." And, apparently as an after-thought,
when his foot was on the top step of the gangway ladder, this very
agreeable gentleman urgently requested the pleasure of Mr Austin's
company on a sporting expedition which he and one or two more were about
to undertake that afternoon. This latter invitation was declined upon
the plea of stress of work; but the invitation to dinner was accepted
conditionally upon the work being in a sufficiently forward state to
allow of the officers leaving the ship.

We were indeed exceedingly busy that day, Mr Austin having determined
to take advantage of the opportunity which our being at anchor afforded
him to lift the rigging off the mastheads and give it and them a
thorough overhaul.

As for me, I was engaged during the whole of the day in charge of a
boat's crew filling up our water casks and tanks and foraging in the
adjacent forest for a supply of fruit, not a single native canoe having
approached us during the entire day. It was, consequently, not until
late in the afternoon, when the neck of the day's work was broken, that