"He is right, father: I do not love; I hate."
The lattice fell again. She had gone.
During the moment that followed you could have heard a lizard move. Tancred fumbled at his collar, and General Van Lier sank bank in his chair.
"Mr. Ennever," he said, at last, "you are my guest."
The tone in which he spoke was low and self-restrained, but in it there was an accent that was tantamount to a slap in the face.
Tancred was on his feet at once.
"If you permit me, I will leave to-day."
General Van Lier moved to the door.
"There is a boat from Siak at five," he answered.
"General," Tancred hesitated; he was humiliated as he had never been, and rightly humiliated, he knew. He was trying to say something that would express his sense of abasement, and a fitting speech was on the end of his tongue.