"To tell the truth, I welcomed the opportunity to sit for a while alone, in the midst of the luminous night, close to the land. Perhaps I might achieve the hint of a solution; I was baffled and pained by the tremendous vital difficulties I’d observed. The wind had risen; it swept down the hillside in a solid breath of sweetness, softly clashing together the broad leaves of the palms. Halsted, it occurred to me in a wandering moment, would now be creeping up under the lee of the land. I drew my chair to the edge of the verandah. The scene of the previous night stood vividly before me; I couldn’t keep my eyes away from that region of heavy shadow, where she stood at my elbow undecided whether to kill me or let me go. Suddenly I started; was there a movement in the shadow? I watched it narrowly—-and, by Jove, in a moment she actually materialized there, as if in answer to my thoughts; advanced, became substantial, and moved into the moonlight, coming swiftly in my direction. I remained seated, chained to my chair. She came to the railing and put her hand lightly on my arm, as if administering caution. Her eyes were level with mine. "’I must see you’ said she in a repressed voice ’I have waited for him to go’ "’Me?’ I exclaimed, for my first thought had been that she’d mistaken the figure on the verandah ’What do you want of me?’ "’Like you, I am his friend’ she answered simply. "’Yes?...’ I parried. Face to face with her, I saw how beautiful she was. She had the golden Malay skin, dusky, full, smooth as dark marble; across her brow she wore an ornament of ivory and carved blackwood; her breast was bare in a long slit, shadowed like the face of a quiet pool. The moonlight revealed her, the jungle stood at her back: and through her hand on my arm I felt the blood of the East, rustling like water in the hills after a tropical rain. "I stood up abruptly. ’All are his friends’ said I. She lifted her eyebrows. ’Has it been thus?’ she asked with meaning. I nodded, marvelling meanwhile at her admirable directness; a woman pure as diamond, true as steel. She lived, like light, in instantaneous collimation. ’Yes’ said I ’he has found many friends’ "She pondered the fact. ’But none have loved him with the heart?’ Was it a question, or a statement? ’Many’ I answered ’but none gained the answer’ ’None?’ she asked, searchingly ’You know, and I can only repeat what is true’ said I ’His heart is given to one who wears it on a chain for play’