Am I to keep this key?"
"Captain Lingard," said Mrs. Travers suddenly. "Would it not be better
to tell him everything?"
"Tell him everything?" repeated Lingard. "Everything! Yesterday it might
have been done. Only yesterday! Yesterday, did I say? Only six hours
ago--only six hours ago I had something to tell. You heard it. And now
it's gone. Tell him! There's nothing to tell any more." He remained for
a time with bowed head, while before him Mrs. Travers, who had begun a
gesture of protest, dropped her arms suddenly. In a moment he looked up
again.
"Keep the key," he said, calmly, "and when the time comes step forward
and take charge. I am satisfied."
"I would like to see clear through all this though," muttered Carter
again. "And for how long are you leaving us, Captain?" Lingard made no
answer. Carter waited awhile. "Come, sir," he urged. "I ought to have
some notion. What is it? Two, three days?" Lingard started.
"Days," he repeated. "Ah, days. What is it you want to know? Two . . .
three--what did the old fellow say--perhaps for life." This was spoken
so low that no one but Carter heard the last words.--"Do you mean it?"
he murmured. Lingard nodded.--"Wait as long as you can--then go," he
said in the same hardly audible voice. "Go where?"--"Where you like,
nearest port, any port.
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