‘Well, but I’m not an islander,’ I cried in growing fury.
The captain sat down, lit a cigarette very deliberately, and observed:
‘It was perhaps stupid of me not to have thought of it. She is, of course, a beautiful girl, but hardly, if I may say so, your equal in position, my lord.’
I jumped up and caught him by the shoulder. He might order me under arrest if he liked, but he should tell me what had happened first.
‘What’s happened?’ I reiterated. ‘Since you left us—what?’
‘A deputation of the islanders, headed by their priest, came to ask my leave for the inhabitants to go up to the house and see their Lady.’
‘Yes, yes. What for?’
‘To offer her their congratulations on her betrothal—’
‘What?’
‘And their assurances of loyalty to her and to her husband for her sake. Oh, it simplifies the matter very much.’