.
She went out of the hall door, and, turning the corner of the hotel,
found herself among the people whom she had seen from the window. But
owing to the broad sunshine after shaded passages, and to the substance
of living people after dreams, the group appeared with startling
intensity, as though the dusty surface had been peeled off everything,
leaving only the reality and the instant. It had the look of a vision
printed on the dark at night. White and grey and purple figures were
scattered on the green, round wicker tables, in the middle the flame of
the tea-urn made the air waver like a faulty sheet of glass, a massive
green tree stood over them as if it were a moving force held at rest.
As she approached, she could hear Evelyn's voice repeating monotonously,
"Here then--here--good doggie, come here"; for a moment nothing seemed
to happen; it all stood still, and then she realised that one of the
figures was Helen Ambrose; and the dust again began to settle.

The group indeed had come together in a miscellaneous way; one tea-table
joining to another tea-table, and deck-chairs serving to connect two
groups. But even at a distance it could be seen that Mrs. Flushing,
upright and imperious, dominated the party. She was talking vehemently
to Helen across the table.

"Ten days under canvas," she was saying. "No comforts. If you want
comforts, don't come. But I may tell you, if you don't come you'll
regret it all your life. You say yes?"

At this moment Mrs. Flushing caught sight of Rachel.

"Ah, there's your niece. She's promised. You're coming, aren't you?"
Having adopted the plan, she pursued it with the energy of a child.

Rachel took her part with eagerness.

"Of course I'm coming. So are you, Helen. And Mr. Pepper too." As she
sat she realised that she was surrounded by people she knew, but that
Terence was not among them. From various angles people began saying what
they thought of the proposed expedition. According to some it would be
hot, but the nights would be cold; according to others, the difficulties
would lie rather in getting a boat, and in speaking the language.
Mrs. Flushing disposed of all objections, whether due to man or due to
nature, by announcing that her husband would settle all that.

Meanwhile Mr. Flushing quietly explained to Helen that the expedition
was really a simple matter; it took five days at the outside; and the
place--a native village--was certainly well worth seeing before she