"He swayed toward her, met her in a brief embrace—then broke away. She gave a little cry. 'You will not?' said she 'I cannot ask again'
"'Dear, it is not to hurt you...' he began 'Why won't you understand?' He covered his face with his hands 'Oh, God, why can't I make you understand?'
"She pointed toward the house. 'It is because your friend has come' said she fiercely 'Never before have you been as to-night. Never before have you refused me. He brings you memory, and now you think of home. I should have killed him when I stood at his side!' She fell back a step, a savage figure, magnificently tall 'So—you have chosen' said she 'This which I offer, you throw down. What is it that you seek? What will you find? Is love so strong in your land, are nights like this, is happiness so deep? In convent-school I learned otherwise' He put out his hand; she drew away like a wild creature. 'No! It is done' she cried.
"A moment passed. He stood irresolute, the plaything of fate, while she devoured him with her eyes. Then, with a swift motion, she left him standing in the grass, and ran toward the shadow. He started to follow. She must have turned at the border of the jungle; I couldn't see her clearly, but she seemed to make a violent gesture, and the moonlight struck sharply on a bracelet that she wore"
VI
"Bert spent the following day with me aboard the ship; I had decided to remain another night in Anjer. We found much to talk about, but didn't approach the incident outside my window that morning; although I'd felt certain that he, not suspecting my awareness, would broach the subject. In fact, I more than once adroitly guided the conversation in this direction; but his mouth was closed. This gave me both alarm and satisfaction; at least, he took the affair with the seriousness that it deserved.
"Late in the afternoon, as we sat here under a little patch of awning spread from the spanker boom, we sighted a small barque to the westward, coming up the straits. She'd just appeared beyond the lower point, some three or four miles distant. Watching her idly through the glass—-I had a powerful telescope—I seemed to find something familiar about her; and a little later, when she had drifted another mile nearer, I suddenly recognized the craft. 'That's Halsted, in his little packet' I remarked 'Her name's the Senegal. You must have seen her before, if you've been here over six months. He makes two trips a year'
"Bert took the glass from my hand. 'I can't remember' said he after a moment's scrutiny 'Ships look all alike to me. Where has she come from? You seem to know about her'
"'Why, Australia, of course!' I exclaimed, suddenly remembering his own point of departure for Anjer 'You must have seen this little barque in Melbourne, if you were familiar with the waterfront. Halsted runs a sort of packet service from there to Singapore'
"'Halsted, Halsted' said Bert 'No, I think I've never met anyone of that name—certainly not there. Look, Nichols, he seems to have run into a strip of calm'