They had never said so in words, but both of them knew that George Carter would never take Laura back to England when once he had married her, and the girl through all her fierce tropical love for him recognized what this self-denial must cost and valued it to the full. But presently she brought him back to the matter they had been talking of before.
"Can't you see why Kate sent Senhor Cascaes here, George?"
"I haven't given him another thought. Besides, although Miss O'Neill is seeing fit to interfere with me, I don't intend to meddle with her."
"I think you ought to defend what's your own."
"Certainly I shall. Can anyone accuse me of not doing so? But I don't see why you keep harping on Cascaes. The man is an open admirer of Miss O'Neill's, and I suppose she's tickled thereby. Anyway that's the only reason I can see why she should have provided him with a job."
"Do you mean to say you think it is Kate the Senhor Cascaes is running after?"
"Certainly I do. Who else was there at Mokki?"
"Do you think I've so few attractions then?"
"But, my good girl, you're engaged to me, and he knew it all along. There was no secret about our engagement. Everybody about the factory knew of it."
"And because a girl is engaged, or even married, do you think that's any bar to another man admiring her?"