"And you?" he asked.
Aylmer met the look squarely.
"No, to you I will be beholden for nothing," he answered. "I give no word; I keep my independence."
Landon shrugged his shoulders.
"You only inconvenience yourself," he said indifferently. "Well, my Quixote, stay here then, in the dark, shackled, and alone."
He held back the door, motioning the others into the outer cabin. Miss Van Arlen stood still, leaning against the bulkhead.
Landon made another gesture towards the door. "Ladies first," he smiled. "While we play at pirates, let us maintain the high standard of piratical courtesy."
She shook her head.
"I prefer to stay," she said quietly.
Landon's surprise escaped in an exclamation. And then he laughed—an evil, sneering laugh, which brimmed with insolence and suggestion.