He looked at me again, smiling. ‘If you shouted it in the hearing of every man in Neopalia, what would they do?’ he asked scornfully. ‘Well, I should hope,’ I returned, ‘that they’d hang Constantine to the tallest tree you’ve got here.’ ‘They would do this,’ he said with a nod; and he began to sing softly the chant I had heard the night before. I was disgusted at his savagery, but I said coolly: ‘And the Lady?’ ‘The Lady believes what she is told, and will do as her cousin bids her. Is she not his affianced wife?’ ‘The deuce she is!’ I cried in amazement, fixing a keen scrutiny on Vlacho’s face. The face told me nothing. ‘Certainly,’ he said gently. ‘And they will rule the island together.’ ‘Will they, though?’ said I. I was becoming rather annoyed. ‘There are one or two obstacles in the way of that. First, it’s my island.’ He shrugged his shoulders again. ‘That,’ he seemed to say, ‘is not worth answering.’ But I had a second shot in the locker for him, and I let him have it for what it was worth. I knew it might be worth nothing, but I tried it. ‘And secondly,’ I went on, ‘how many wives does Constantine propose to have?’ A hit! A hit! A palpable hit! I could have sung in glee. The fellow was dumbfoundered. He turned red, bit his lip, scowled fiercely. ‘What do you mean?’ he blurted out, with an attempt at blustering defiance. ‘Never mind what I mean. Something, perhaps, that the Lady Euphrosyne might care to know. And now, my man, what do you want of me?’ He recovered his composure, and stated his errand with his old cool assurance; but the cloud of vexation still hung heavy on his brow. ‘On behalf of the Lady of the island--’ he began. ‘Or shall we say her cousin?’ I interrupted. ‘Which you will,’ he answered, as though it were not worth while to wear the mask any longer. ‘On behalf, then, of my Lord Constantine, I am to offer you safe passage to your boat, and a return of the money you have paid--’ ‘How’s he going to pay that?’ ‘He will pay it in a year, and give you security meanwhile.’ ‘And the condition is that I give up the island?’ I asked; I began to think that perhaps I owed it to my companions to acquiesce in this proposal however distasteful it might be to me. ‘Yes,’ said Vlacho, ‘and there is one other small condition, which will not trouble you.’ ‘What’s that? You’re rich in conditions.’ ‘You’re lucky to be offered any. It is that you mind your own business.’ ‘I came here for the purpose,’ I observed. ‘And that you undertake, for yourself and your companions, on your word of honour, to speak to nobody of what has passed on the island or of the affairs of the Lord Constantine.’ ‘And if I won’t give this promise?’ ‘The yacht is in our hands; Demetri and Spiro are our men; there will be no ship here for two months.’ The fellow paused, smiling at me. I took the liberty of ending his period for him.