"Fever leaves its stamp when you get it often," Marston remarked. "Besides, I expect the fellow has had some romantic adventures. Anyhow, he's not a friend of ours. We gave him dinner on board because he was a white man. That's all."
"I wonder whether Harry saw him, just before he dropped the ring."
"What do you think?" Marston asked with some curiosity.
"I don't know. Harry looked round."
"Oh, well," said Marston. "If Harry did see him, I don't imagine it had much to do with his dropping the ring."
Mabel gave him a quiet glance. She knew Bob and thought he was trying to persuade himself, not to cheat her.
"Yet you did not like to see the man!"
"I did not," Marston admitted. "He, so to speak, brought things back; our agent's dying and the dreams I had when I was ill. Some people belong to their surroundings. I mean, they stand for the places they come from, and Peters belongs to the mangrove lagoons. You and Flora stand for England; spots like this where all's bracing and calm. I think we'll let Peters go."
"You're very nice," said Mabel, smiling. "If we are going to flatter each other, you stand for the sea."
"No," said Marston. "The sea's restless, breezy, and sparkling, and I'm not. You have got a rather dull fellow for a lover."