"I don't want to deceive you. I urged the governor to take the only possible step consistent with his obligations." "Why couldn't you leave me be? I wasn't doin' you no harm." "You may be sure that if you had I should be the last man to resent it." "Do you think I want to stay on in this poor imitation of a burg? I don't look no busher, do I?" "In that case I don't see what cause of complaint you have," he answered. She gave an inarticulate cry of rage and flung out of the room. There was a short silence. "It's a relief to know that the governor has acted at last," said Davidson finally. "He's a weak man and he shilly-shallied. He said she was only here for a fortnight anyway, and if she went on to Apia that was under British jurisdiction and had nothing to do with him." The missionary sprang to his feet and strode across the room. "It's terrible the way the men who are in authority seek to evade their responsibility. They speak as though evil that was out of sight ceased to be evil. The very existence of that woman is a scandal and it does not help matters to shift it to another of the islands. In the end I had to speak straight from the shoulder." Davidson's brow lowered, and he protruded his firm chin. He looked fierce and determined. "What do you mean by that?" "Our mission is not entirely without influence at Washington. I pointed out to the governor that it wouldn't do him any good if there was a complaint about the way he managed things here." "When has she got to go?" asked the doctor, after a pause. "The San Francisco boat is due here from Sydney next Tuesday. She's to sail on that." That was in five days' time. It was next day, when he was coming back from the hospital where for want of something better to do Macphail spent most of his mornings, that the half-caste stopped him as he was going upstairs. "Excuse me, Dr Macphail, Miss Thompson's sick. Will you have a look at her." "Certainly." Horn led him to her room. She was sitting in a chair idly, neither reading nor sewing, staring in front of her. She wore her white dress and the large hat with the flowers on it. Macphail noticed that her skin was yellow and muddy under her powder, and her eyes were heavy. "I'm sorry to hear you're not well," he said. "Oh, I ain't sick really. I just said that, because I just had to see you. I've got to clear on a boat that's going to 'Frisco." She looked at him and he saw that her eyes were suddenly startled. She opened and clenched her hands spasmodically. The trader stood at the door, listening. "So I understand," said the doctor. She gave a little gulp.