"Oh, God!" groaned the trembling lady. "It has come at last! It has
come,--just as I feared. For pity's sake, Mr. Percival, spare her! She
is--"

"I beg your pardon," he broke in, flushing. "I think you misunderstand
me. I am asking your consent to marry her. I believe it is still
customary among gentlemen to consult the--"

"Permit me to interrupt you, Mr. Percival," said she, regaining her
composure and her austerity. "What you ask is quite impossible. My niece
is,--ah,--I may say tentatively engaged. I am sorry for you. Perhaps it
would be just as well if you did not wait for her to come in. She will
be--"

"Mrs. Spofford, I am obliged to confess to you that I have already
spoken to Miss Clinton, and I may add that she is not tentatively
engaged. She has promised to be my wife."

She drew back as if struck. She was silent for many seconds.

"It would appear that my consent is not necessary, Mr. Percival," she
said at last, "Why do you come to me?"

"Because, while you may not suspect it, I was born a gentleman," said he
stiffly.

She received this with a slight nod of the head and no more.

"My niece, no doubt in her excitement, has neglected to ask you one or
two very important questions," she said levelly. "First of all, have you
any means of convincing us that you do not already possess a wife?"

He started. "You are right," he said. "That is an important question,
and she has not asked it. I have no means of convincing you that I have
never been married, Mrs. Spofford. My word of honour is the only thing I
can offer."

She regarded him narrowly. "Do you consider that sufficient, Mr.
Percival?"

"I do," said he simply. She waited for him to go on, and was distinctly
impressed by his failure to do so. So far as he was concerned, there was
nothing more to be added.

"How are we to know what your past life contains? You may have left your
homeland in disgrace, you may even have been a fugitive from justice. We
have no means of knowing. You were a stowaway on board the Doraine. That
much, at least, we do know. We know nothing more. You are smart, you
are clever. Surely you must see yourself that under other circumstances,
under normal conditions, my niece would not have condescended to notice
you, Mr. Percival. We are on an undiscovered island, remote from the
environment, the society, the--"

"Permit me to remind you, Mrs. Spofford," he interrupted, a trifle
coldly, "that you just remarked that yo