She was such a wonderful woman, he told himself; she had been such a true friend to him that he had been worse than criminal to lose her respect. And Cortlandt had been so decent to him! It was significant that this gave him the most discomfort of all. He had betrayed a man's friendship, and the thought was unbearable. No punishment could be too severe for that! He was still sitting there cramped and stiff when the first faint flush of dawn stole over the hill-crest behind him. Then he rose to wander toward the water-front. As the harbor assumed definite form, he beheld a launch stealing in toward the village, and ten minutes later greeted Stephen Cortlandt as that gentleman stepped out of the tender. "Where's Edith?" eagerly demanded her husband. "She's asleep. I found a place for her--" "Not at the SANITARIUM?" "No, no. One of these houses. Lord, I'm glad to see you! We'd begun to feel like real castaways. I've been up all night." "What happened?" It was plain that Mr. Cortlandt was deeply agitated. "Our boatmen evidently got drunk and pulled out. I tried to get a sail-boat, but there weren't any, and it was too rough to try crossing with a skiff." It took them but a moment to reach the house, and soon the three were back at the water-front. "What a miserable night!" Mrs. Cortlandt complained, stifling a yawn. "I thought you'd never come, Stephen!" "I didn't get back to the Tivoli until midnight, and then I had trouble in finding a boat to bring me over." "I suppose they were alarmed at the hotel?" "I said nothing about it," he returned, quietly, at which his wife's face flushed. Seizing the first occasion, he exclaimed, in a low voice: "God! How unfortunate--at this time. Were you mad?" She looked at him and her eyes burned, but she said nothing. XIII CHIQUITA The next day Kirk borrowed a shot-gun and went hunting. The events of the night before seemed like a dream. Could it be that he had really blundered irretrievably? Was it possible that he had offended his best friend past forgiveness? He wanted to get away somewhere and collect his thoughts. For the present, at least, he wished to avoid an interview with Mrs. Cortlandt.