"He seemed to stiffen where he stood. His face in the moonlight looked sterner than its wont, set in the struggle that came hard to him. ’No!’ he cried in a loud voice. The word seemed to echo among the palms, a tragic whisper of universal negation. She gazed at him a moment in naked terror—then tottered and sank slowly to the ground, uttering little stifled cries. I saw him leap the railing and kneel beside her; but I didn’t wait for more. I’d stayed too long already; and what was coming would be harder than what had gone. "It must have been fully an hour later, after I’d lost the path and threshed around in the jungle until I was tired out, that I succeeded in regaining the bungalow. Bert was sitting on the porch, alone. I dropped into a chair beside him. ’Too bad, old man’ said he, observing the state of my white linens ’It was decent of you, though’ "’Yes, we’re a decent breed, aren’t we?’ I snapped in reply ’Anyway, let’s not balance a heart against an hour of discomfort and a suit of clothes’ He turned his head and looked me over. ’I can’t say that I blame you’ he exclaimed ’But honestly, old man, I think she will forget’ ’I don’t’ said I ’Did you?’ He winced, but I went on angrily ’You ought to know better by this time. You’ve had a double experience now—the chaser and the chased....’ ’Hold on, Nichols!’ he interrupted ’You’re getting unpardonable. What would you have me do? Do you want me to stay here and live with her?’ ’No, I don’t!’ I shouted ’I merely want a revision of life and human nature—no one to be unhappy, no love to go unrequited, no heart to be thrown away’ He laughed. ’I’d like that, too’ said he. "The silence lengthened between us, as we gazed across the placid harbour, thinking our own thoughts. In the brilliant moonlight, every object in the roadstead was plainly discernible. ’I see your friend has arrived’ said Bert suddenly ’He’s anchored pretty close to your vessel. By Jove, that must have been his chain..’ ’It was’ I answered, musing on the fortuitousness of events that shape our lives. ’Now he seems to be getting a boat into the water. Where are your night glasses?’ In a moment Bert brought them to me. Aboard the new arrival there was an unaccountable flurry, but I couldn’t make out the scene below the rail. In a short while, however, a boat appeared out of the shadow there, and swam toward us through the bright moonlight. ’I wonder why he’s coming ashore, at this time of night’ I murmured. ’Can’t imagine’ Bert replied. Soon we heard the chunking of oars in the rowlocks, and two or three quick commands. The boat was nearing the beach. She passed for a moment behind the point of the jetty. Now she had reached the landing. A confusion of voices broke out, loud and jarring, pitched in a key of anger and violence. Then, cutting the stillness like a knife, came a sudden sharp cry.