r hero.
And I think she saw, too, in the same flash of intelligence. And so,
nothing happened. When she spoke she merely asked in a low tone what the
punishment was for infanticide.

"'You know, Mr. Chief,' she went on, putting up her arms and swinging
gently on the life-lines of the boats, 'It isn't fair. I'd never have
taken it on if I'd known what I was in for. I have a devil of a temper.
I'm sure I shall do something to that child.'

"'To keep it quiet?' I suggested. She nodded rapidly.

"'For good!' she replied, and added: 'They never used to let me have
anything to do with the kids at school.'

"'Because of the temper?' She nodded again.

"'I nearly killed a girl once,' she remarked, calmly.

"'Oh, tut-tut!' I said, but she insisted, and her eyes gleamed with a
sudden vixenish anger. 'Yes, Mr. Chief. She was a tall, fair girl with
yellow hair and a lovely complexion, like an advertisement for soap. She
hated me, and told the girls I would only be a nigger where she came
from. Her father was in the Civil Service somewhere. And she kept on
calling me nigger, and the other girls followed her lead until I was
nearly _crazy_. And one night I went into the lavatory and put a piece
of caustic soda into her sponge as it lay on the rack. And the next
morning when she was washing there was a horrible row, and she ran up
and down the bedroom screaming, and her face was all one smear of
crimson and purple. She had to go to hospital and it took months to
heal. The sponge was left in the water and there was nothing to show,
but the girls knew I'd done it because I didn't run and see what was the
matter. They didn't call me nigger any more, Mr. Chief.'

"I said I supposed not, and enquired if Mrs. Evans knew this story.
Artemisia shrugged her shoulders and showed the tip of her tongue. 'I
wouldn't tell _her_ much,' she replied.

"'And you are going out to see your father?' she nodded. 'He wants me to
help him in his business.'

"'He's not a captain now, I suppose?' I asked her, to see how much she
knew. She was unconcerned. 'No, he retired from the sea when I was a
little girl. We came home from the States. We lived near Saxhambury
then. Do you know it? Father was very unfortunate. He lost on some of
his investments and had to go abroad again. He was in Egypt a long
while.'

"'And you haven't seen him since when?' I hazarded.

"'Oh, I met him when he came to Paris on business. You see, the company
he's in now is Fr