Vashti's eyes rested on him for a second or two, in a kind of wondering despair at his obtuseness. But she controlled herself to reply quite patiently:
"At any rate, it was wrong of me to encourage the men's resentment, and I came here this morning to beg your pardon."
He acknowledged this with a bow, but stood silent for a moment, eyeing her.
"You are a relative of Major Vigoureux?" he asked, after a pause.
"No."
"You are staying with him, I understand?"
"No." Vashti shook her head, with a smile. "But I very much want you to forgive me," she went on; "for I have another favour to ask you."
Again he bowed slightly. "You give my curiosity no rest, Miss Cara, and I perceive you mean to satisfy it only in your own way. As for the—er—incident we have been discussing, pray consider that—so far as you are concerned—I dismiss it." He did so with a slight wave of the hand. "You wish to ask me a favour?"
"I do. I came to plead with you; to say a word on behalf of Eli Tregarthen, your tenant on Saaron Island."
The Lord Proprietor started. "Are you at the bottom of that also?" he asked, angrily.