‘They think that the island is theirs, you see,’ he explained, ‘and that the lord has no business to sell it. They may be good-hearted, Lord Wheatley, but they are tenacious of their rights.’ ‘But they can’t have any rights,’ I expostulated. ‘None at all,’ he assented. ‘But a man is never so tenacious of his rights as when he hasn’t any. However, _autres temps autres mœurs_; I don’t suppose you’ll have any trouble of that kind. Certainly I hope not, my dear lord.’ ‘Surely your Government will see to that?’ I suggested. His Excellency looked at me; then, although by nature a grave man, he gave a low humorous chuckle and regarded me with visible amusement. ‘Oh, of course, you can rely on that, Lord Wheatley,’ said he. ‘That is a diplomatic assurance, your Excellency?’ I ventured to suggest, with a smile. ‘It is unofficial,’ said he, ‘but as binding as if it were official. Our Governor in that district of the empire is a very active man--yes, a decidedly active man.’ The only result of this conversation was that when I was buying my sporting guns in St James’s Street the next day I purchased a couple of pairs of revolvers at the same time. It is well to be on the safe side, and, although I attached little importance to the by-gone outrage of which the Ambassador spoke, I did not suppose that the police service would be very efficient. In fact I thought it prudent to be ready for any trouble that the old-world notions of the Neopalians might occasion. But in my heart I meant to be very popular with them. For I cherished the generous design of paying the whole tribute out of my own pocket, and of disestablishing in Neopalia what seems to be the only institution in no danger of such treatment here--the tax-gatherer. If they understood that intention of mine, they would hardly be so short short-sighted as to set me adrift in my shirt like a second Baron d’Ezonville, or so unjust as to kill poor old Stefanopoulos as they had killed his ancestor. Besides, as I comforted myself by repeating, they were a good-hearted race; unsophisticated, of course, but thoroughly good-hearted.