moment gone so vigorously discountenanced.

He found her asleep in her chair. The devil which had brought him to
her side was thrust back. Why, she was nothing more than a beautiful
child! A great yearning to brother her came into his heart. He did
not disturb her, but waited until five, that grave and sober hour, when
kings and clerks stop work for no logical reason whatever--tea. She
opened her eyes and saw him watching her. He rose quickly.

"May I get you some tea?"

"Thank you."

And so the gulf was bridged. When he returned he set the cup and plate
of cakes on the arm of her chair.

"I was very rude a little while ago. Will you accept my apologies?"

"On condition that you will never take your playthings and go home."

He laughed engagingly. "You've hit it squarely. It was the act of a
petulant child."

"It did not sound exactly like a man who had stoked six months from
Singapore to the Andaman Islands. But there is one thing I must
understand before this acquaintance continues. You said, 'Who knows
what manner of man I am?' Have you ever done anything that would
conscientiously forbid you to speak to a young unmarried woman?"

Take care of herself? He rather believed she could. The bluntness of