This suggestion broke up the party, as Zoe had intended, and Maurice and his wife were left alone in the deserted gallery. He turned to her quickly.
“Is there any need to advertise our differences in public, Eirene? Must you show your distrust of me so openly?”
“You gave me no choice,” she replied, with quickened breath. “I know how little interest you have in this venture, and how easily you would let yourself be persuaded to give it up. I was obliged to show you, before you committed yourself farther, that any pledges you might give to the Admiral would make no difference to me.”
“You are wrong. I am deeply interested in this venture, for it has cost me too much to retire from it lightly. It has broken up my home and alienated my wife from me. When we left Bashi Konak I knew that there could be no ending to it but death or success.”
Eirene’s lips were trembling. “You are so tiresome!” she said pettishly, trying to hide her involuntary weakness. “You will do nothing without being driven to it, and then you go further than I should ever have asked you. Don’t you see that the Admiral would have thought he had only to get us all safe on board and then sail away?”
“Admiral Essiter? Hardly. But putting that aside, can’t you see how important it is that he and I should meet? Zoe saw it at once, and gave me just the help I wanted.”
“Zoe is only a looker-on. All this is a sort of play to her. She has nothing at stake, and can afford to make herself useful in conversation. She is not distracted between a husband who won’t look after his own interests, and a son whose rights must not be sacrificed. I don’t believe she cares for a single creature.”
“You forget you are talking of my sister,” said Maurice angrily. “As to her not caring for any one, that’s her business and not ours. I should have been thankful to see her happy with Wylie, but I suppose there’s no chance of that now. At any rate, she has stood by us all this time, and you would often have been lonely without her.”
“It’s only for amusement. She has no real interest,” persisted Eirene rebelliously. Maurice gave up the attempt.
“At least,” he said, “I hope you approve of my plan of meeting the Admiral, now that your precautions have obviated the risk of treachery, if there was any?”