discard at will.

For a moment Monk made no reply; and Lanyard remarked a curious
quivering of that excessively tall, excessively attenuated body, a real
trembling, and suddenly understood that the absurd creature was being
shaken by jealousy, by an enormous passion of jealousy, quite beyond
his control, that shook him very much as a cat might shake a mouse.

It was too funny to be laughable, it was comic in a way to make one
want to weep. So that Lanyard, who refused to weep in public, could
merely gape in speechless and transfixed rapture. And perhaps this was
fortunate; otherwise Monk must have seen that his idiotic secret was
out, the sport of ribald mirth, and the situation must have been
precipitated with a vengeance and an outcome impossible to predict. As
it was, absorbed in his inner torment, Monk was insensible to the peril
that threatened his stilted but precious dignity, which he proceeded to
parade, as it were underlining it with the eyebrows, to lend emphasis
to his words.

"So long as this entertaining fiction of brother-and-sister is thought
worth while," he said with infuriated condescension, "it might be
judicious not to indulge in inconsistent and unseemly demonstrations of
affection within view of my officers and crew. Suppose we..." He choked
a little. "In short, I came to invite you to a little conference in my
rooms, with Mr. Phinuit."

"Conference?" Liane enquired coolly, without stirring. "I know nothing
of this conference."

"Mr. Phinuit and I are agreed that Monsieur Lanyard is entitled to know
more about our intentions while he has time to weigh them carefully. We
have only four more days at sea..."

Unable longer to contain himself, Lanyard left his chair with alacrity.
"But this is so delightful! You've no idea, really, monsieur, how I
have looked forward to this moment." And to Liane: "Do come, and see
how I take it, this revelation of my preordained fate. It will be, I
trust sincerely, like a man."

With momentary hesitation, and in a temper precluding any sympathy,
with his humour, the woman rose and silently followed with him that
long-legged figure whose stalk held so much dramatic significance as he
led to the companionway.

After that it was refreshing to find unromantic Mr. Phinuit lounging
beside the captain's desk with crossed feet overhanging one corner of
it and mind intent on the prosaic business of paring his fingernails.
Lanyard nodded to him with great good temper