malice. Her eyes seemed dancing.

"I'm afraid I can't obey you, sir," she proffered. "You can see for
yourself, it can't be done."

A dull, angry flush crept over the Master's rather pale face, and lost
itself in the roots of his thick, black hair. Perfectly well he saw
that he was being cornered in an untenable position of half-command,
half-intimacy. Without apparently exercising any wiles, this woman was
none the less involving him in bonds like those the Lilliputians threw
round sleeping Gulliver.

Anger welled up in his proud heart that anyone--much less a
woman--should thus lower his dignity. But still his manhood dictated
courtesy. He came a few steps nearer, and said:

"I must admit this seems rather an embarrassing situation. Frankly, it
does not tend to ameliorate the relation between us. You have placed
yourself--and me--in a peculiarly compromising position. I must try to
meet it.

"Obviously you cannot expect one so unskilled as I, in things
feminine, to help you in the capacity of lady's maid Therefore only
one thing remains to do. Instead of calling my orderly, and having him
show you your stateroom, I must in some way arrange to get you there,
myself."

"That's kind of you, I'm sure," she answered, half in mockery, half in
gratitude.